Caption: Members of the Leeds Youth Council with Cllr Alan Lamb introduce the new Breeze Youth Promise
The young people of Leeds have set the city a challenge … it's called the Breeze Youth Promise and it challenges the city’s chiefs to put their wants and needs at the heart of services for young people.
The promise has been developed by young people from the Leeds Youth Council and ROAR (Reach out and reconnect) and tells young people what they can expect to receive from the different services and organisations that work with young people in Leeds. It also gives them a voice in shaping the future of their city.
A short film directed and produced by young people created to introduce a new element of the Breeze Youth Promise 2009.
The promise, which was first devised in 2007, brings together everything Leeds does for young people aged 13 to 19, including those who are in care or have learning difficulties or disabilities, and it gives them all a voice in shaping the city’s future. The original promise included the themes ‘somewhere to go, something to do, someone to talk to’ and latest version also includes an additional theme called ‘something to say’.
To introduce the new ‘something to say’ theme the short film will be shown in 40 schools across Leeds, on the ‘big screen’ in Millennium square, at the bus station, in some doctors surgeries and at Breeze on Tour events throughout the summer. Members of the Leeds Youth Council and ROAR will now be taking the message back to their schools by putting together a lesson plan and developing workshops which will be held at the Breeze on Tour events.
Covering a wide range of services, the promise commits everyone in children’s services to provide the very best advice and guidance for young people as well as safe and enjoyable events, activities and venues. In addition, better information and publicity will make sure that no-one misses out.
Councillor Alan Lamb, lead member with responsibility for Youth Services, said:“Young people want information, advice and guidance about the things that matter to them. That means help with career choices, education, lifestyle choices, health issues and relationships. They want places that are safe, secure, welcoming and where they actually want to go, places to chill out as well as places where they can get active or involved.
“The Breeze Youth Promise is about helping young people enjoy and achieve, whether it’s through learning, work or what they do in their spare time, and giving them opportunities to have their say.”
Three young people from Leeds Youth Council, explain why the Breeze Youth Promise is important:
Joseph Bennett, 16 from Benton Park High School said: “Young people know what they want, but they don’t always know how to get their message across. In this group we can raise awareness and help give young people a voice – which is why we felt is was important to add the ‘something to say’ theme in to the promise.”
Jade Tosney, 14, from Mount St. Mary’s High School, said:“This is all about promising the young people that the city will provide suitable things for them to do, places to go, people to listen to and opportunities to have their say. But not many young people know about it, so we have made this film to get the message across. Being involved in the Youth Council means we can give the young people of Leeds a voice.”
Yasmin Rhodes, 16, from Cockburn High School, said:
“The Breeze Youth Promise will only work if we scrutinize it, and make sure the authorities are keeping up to their part of the promise, which is why it’s so important that the young people know how to have their say.”
For more information and to view the film go to www.breezeleeds.org/breezepromise.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council Press Office, on (0113) 2474713
Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk
