Sir Clive Loader bids farewell to the Youth Commission

Tomorrow (Saturday 23 April) will mark the last Youth Commission gathering with Sir Clive Loader.

Youth Commission members will be meeting to present what they have achieved since being part of Sir Clive’s initiative and wishing him the very best for the future.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire and Rutland, Sir Clive Loader, introduced the Youth Commission in 2013 and said: “Gathering the views of young people is important to help shape the service the police deliver. The Youth Commission make sure the voices of young people in Leicestershire are heard.

“I am extremely proud of everything the Youth Commission has achieved and I am sad to leave behind something that I am so very passionate about.”

The Youth Commission is made up of a diverse group of 25 young people aged between 14 and 25 years, from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Members give up their time to make a difference through having ‘Big Conversations’ gathering the views of young people.

The aim of the ‘Big Conversation’ events is to gather views about the six priorities which are most important to young people:

• new psychoactive substances (NPS)
• relationship with the police
• knife crime
• hate crime and radicalisation
• child sexual exploitation (CSE)
• domestic abuse.

Since the ‘Big Conversations’ began in March this year, members have already got the views of nearly 250 young people in person and on social-media.

A series of ‘Big Conversation’ events are taking place with young people at schools, colleges, universities and with hard-to-reach groups throughout the rest of the year. Young people will have the opportunity to express their views through interactive activities and through completing a youth survey.

Youth Commission lead, Suzanne Houlihan added: “Sir Clive's support and commitment ‎to the Leicestershire Youth Commission during his time in office has been appreciated so much by the Youth Commission members and young people across LLR who have had their voice heard because of it.

“Policing Policy has changed based on recommendations made by Sir Clive's Youth Commission and without his courage and commitment to the project this wouldn't have happened.”