Youth Unity also offers advice, and guidance to many families and individuals affected by Criminal Exploitation and grooming. The workshops explore topics such as criminal exploitation, social media misuse, grooming, building positive relationships, and the law. “There is an increase in the deliberate manipulation of young people, and we feel that more than ever before, we need to inform young people of the dangers etc,” McKenzie says. “We are also delivering valuable support to young people challenged with grooming and county lines. The workshops raised awareness and helped to enable participants to understand the early signs of a mental health issue. “We selected several professionals to work alongside parents and young people.” Working Hard: Paul McKenzie With this in mind, we set out to deliver specific online workshops that are interactive and informative for all. “We feel the pandemic has had a massive impact on youth. Youth Unity works with schools, colleges, police forces, social services, LSCBs, charities, borough councils, county councils, private businesses, national government agencies to deliver productions, workshops and training for young people and adults across the United Kingdom.Ĭurrently, it is also working with several organisations to raise awareness around mental health. Protect: To strengthen adults and young people by building their emotional and cognitive (thinking) resilience, better enabling them to ‘say no’ to gangs, violence, drugs, crime and other forms of exploitation and vulnerability themes. With the aim to kick start conversations, build resilience and inspire change around complex social issues. Prepare: To effectively mitigate risks through preventative measures and innovative, creative media early intervention. Prevent: To stop people becoming gang members, being exploited or taking part in violence. “It uses the framework often referred to as the 4Ps and strengthens a partnership approach to safeguarding our most vulnerable and tackling offenders.”Īs McKenzie explains, their key objectives are consistent with this strategy and approach: “This strategy effectively coordinates national joint working to reduce the level of serious and organised crime affecting our local communities. To better understand this, McKenzie adds that this is something consistent with the Government’s 4P approach and contained within the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. Youth Unity’s focus is early intervention and early identification of those ‘at risk’ from gangs, serious youth violence, criminal exploitation and associated vulnerability strands. “With the current rise in serious youth violence and the impact of COVID-19, we created a dedicated hub for the overall wellbeing of young people from all ethnicities,” he explains, whilst adding that the organisation challenges the narrative portraying young people as bad. In this piece, Youth Time features its contribution for young people’s wellbeing by speaking to Paul McKenzie, Youth Unity’s Head of Communications.Īt the beginning of our conversation, McKenzie talks about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in their activities, whereas further in the interview, he sheds light on their key activities and the 4Ps (Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare). With offices in Kent, London and Essex, the organisation works successfully in close collaboration with statutory organisations, commissioned services and charities, by offering workshops, projects and training for young people and professionals. Youth Unity CIC is an innovative space for youth empowerment, and a non-profit organisation established to provide effective help and support to vulnerable young people and adults affected by group violence (gangs), drugs and other forms of exploitation such as human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and extremism.
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