Students from across the Eastern Education Group have had the opportunity to take part in three Youth Effect Hacks in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds (held at Abbeygate Sixth Form College).
These Hacks were delivered on behalf of the Director for Public Health for Suffolk, and the outputs from these events will feed directly into Suffolk County Council’s Annual Public Health Report.
This is a landmark moment: the first strategic Public Health report of its kind to focus entirely on Youth Social Action- devised by young people, three of who were One Sixth Form College students, led by young people, captured by young people, for young people.
Students were asked
- What matters most to you in your community?
- What would you change?
- How would you create solutions?
They worked on the themes of Physical Health, Mental Health, Social Health and Environmental Health. The discussions were insightful covering everything from community cohesion, transport, lack of safe and affordable spaces for young people, and underinvestment in local communities, a culture of reaction as opposed to proactive going as far as to suggest the impact this has on the national economy, the public’s health and community cohesion.
These ideas will help shape improvements to services that impact young people, driving systems change and better outcomes for them and their communities.
Student Feedback
“The event was very good – from the range of young people present to the variety of topics we covered. These events are so important because laws and decisions often impact young people the most, and the fact they’re not usually given a voice is shocking and not right at all.”
“I gained confidence in public speaking. I was nervous when we presented our solution, but I’m glad I did it – it boosted my confidence. I also learned about topics I wasn’t aware of and gained insight into other people’s situations and how society and laws impact them.”
“The event encouraged us to think critically about solving problems beyond the school curriculum. It gave me an insight into real-world issues and inspired me to be more active in the community.”
“I thought the event was really nice and informative. I think it was a great opportunity for young people to get their voice out and actually make some real change in the community. It was an amazing experience for me to actually speak on the issues that bother me. I love talking to people so this event was really lovely. I have gained more people skills then i had before too such as more confidence. Thank you for taking me!”
Gallery
Photos from Suffolk Public Health Report Hackathon at Abbeygate Sixth Form College in Bury St Edmunds.
Photos from Suffolk Public Health Report Hackathon in Ipswich with One Sixth Form College students.
