I walk into a classroom full of tiny chairs, and it takes me back to when I was at primary school; as I look at the colourful walls covered in kids’ work, I think about how much has changed in schools since I was in their shoes.
I’m at a Merseyside primary school to discuss youth violence. The team I’m with have prepared questions to get the children talking about the topic and how it makes them feel, without it being too overwhelming. To help with this, we ask them about their understanding of youth violence, and allow them to answer in creative ways, such as drawing.
I am a survivor of domestic abuse, so I sympathise with young people who have experienced youth violence or childhood trauma, or who simply want to make the world safer for themselves and their friends. I can’t help but put myself in their shoes as I talk to them. I feel that if I had been given the opportunity when I was younger to talk about my life, it would have saved me from so much trauma.
One young person in particular tells us how they “feel safe at school”. They go on to say: “I think creating a safe space in town, like we have at school, for young people to go to would really help.” You can tell from the way they speak, that they feel their opinions are being taken into account. It’s heartwarming to see.
This school visit was part of my work with the Peer Action Collective (PAC) project, a £5.2m programme, that aims to give young people the chance to make their communities safer, fairer places to live. It is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and the Co-op group.
Young people who experience violence aren’t always heard, but change won’t happen without their involvement. That’s why PAC exists. It’s by youth, for youth, and as one of PAC’s 120 peer researchers (aged 16-25) I’m responsible for developing research methods to capture young people’s thoughts and feelings, hosting forums between different PAC project members to share our progress, and conducting peer action to improve the lives of young people.
My team is based in Merseyside, and we come together each week to train, plan, and put into action the research around youth violence in the area. It is such an inspiring project to be a part of – giving back by doing something I am passionate about is an invaluable experience. It’s saddening to hear how often young people go through things like domestic abuse or see things similar at such a young age. However, it also drives me to keep going, and inspires me to give them the support and voice I always needed but never received. It’s just further proof to me that we need projects like PAC.
As peer researchers, our aim is to reach more than 5,000 young people aged 10-20 across the country, via methods and activities designed for this group, such as creating posters and walls of Post-it notes. We are also enlisting about 1,500 change makers, who will directly act upon the knowledge I, as a peer researcher, collect, giving them the chance to have their voices heard, and more of a say in their future.
Being a peer researcher is a paid role, and a first job for many of us. It’s thanks to companies and groups such as the Co-op, the Youth Endowment Fund and the #iwill Fund that PAC can support us in taking the lead. Their support not only allows PAC to help those who have experienced violence, it also enables PAC to provide employment opportunities for young people. With this support we have been able to receive safeguarding training, access resources such as Fatima (software that allows us to store young people’s information, safely and securely), and life-long job skills such as research, time management, communication and confidence.
Other peer researchers have also found working for PAC to be a life-changing experience. Kieron, 21 says his confidence has grown since joining the initiative, and that he was “blown away” by the passion of the young people he’s spoken to. Sophia, 16, says: “The PAC project gives me a real sense of purpose and pride,” while Dean, 16, praised the diversity among peer researchers, saying: “We all bring something unique to the table.” For Izzy, 16, being trusted to be a voice for young people has “meant a lot” and given her more confidence in her ideas.
I have found out a considerable amount from this project so far, from how much young people know and care about youth violence to how much of a positive impact the PAC project as a first job has had on myself and other peer researchers. I want to reach out to as many young people as possible and say that their voice matters, that you don’t have to be the loudest in the room to have the most valid point, and that we can all make a change as a collective. It’s time to rise up together and become the change, the future, we want to see.
The PAC project has given me the opportunity to take my struggles, turn them around, and use them to help others. I feel like having a person to share opinions with, especially someone who has been in a similar place, is a relief for young people. Having someone who believes you, and someone to talk to, can have a massive positive impact on a young person’s mental health. Communication is the key, in my opinion. It means the absolute world to be able to do this, as I want as few people as possible to go through the trauma I did. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity.
Co-op is committed to creating opportunities for young people to make their community a safer and fairer place. To find out more about Co-op’s work with young people, please visit here. To find out more about the Peer Action Collective, please visit here
In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org
