Agenda and draft minutes

Aimee welcomed new Forum members to the meeting. Apologies received from some members and others running late and will join in as they arrive.

Attended: Aimee Luck (WNC), Morcea Walker (adult co-chair), Cllr Anna King (adult co-chair), Lissy (Northampton Academy), Kamron (Kingsthorpe College), Hannah (Kingsthorpe College), Kayla (Wootton Park), Michaella (Wootton Park), Nicole (Campion), Sofia (Campion), Tracy (NSG)

Apologies: Oriana (NSG), Thomas (independent), Tabi (Wootton Park),

Short pre-Christmas catch up last meeting so only action notes taken.

Actions: Aimee to explore options for Challah bread workshop for young people.
Update: Unable to get a time outside of school hours/in holidays in time for HMD2022. Agreed to plan in with Good Loaf for December 2022 meeting ahead of HMD event 2023.

Actions: Lissy interested in work experience with the council. Aimee to explore.
Update: Discussions taking place with Democratic services – too late for official work experience but could look into future opportunities for experience with this department.

Apologies received from the Lord Lieutenant who had hoped to join us virtually to discuss this item.

Morcea gave an overview of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and options for communities to host street parties, tree plantings etc to mark the occasion (2/6/22 – 5/6/22). There will be a parade organised in Northampton and Northampton carnival will mark the occasion.

Youth Forum advised to consider if they might like to mark the event as a group or to take back to schools and explore options.
Action: Feedback ideas/plans at the next meeting.

Jamie Chalmers from the West Northamptonshire Council Regeneration team joined us to talk with the young people about their views on the town centre and the forthcoming developments.

Lissy gave an overview of the Perspectives report to newer forum members. This report has been shared with the Regeneration team and is being supported by Cabinet members.

Young people suggested that the town centre was not as good a place for business anymore with shops closing, and Rushden Lakes and MK drawing in more businesses. Leisure was also raised as a main attraction in these areas and something lacking in Northampton town centre.

Following the improvements to the Market square the forum would like to see more live events, particularly music and big charity raising events, held here with boutique pop up shops. These are the kinds of things that young people want to go to with friends and would give them a reason to come into town that they currently do not have. The Music Festival was highly praised by all members and they noted seeing more friends in town than ever at this event.

Jamie and his team are working with NN Contemporary on the art and design of the spaces of the project and suggested the Youth Forum might like to get invovled to help steer some of this work, particularly in relation to designing the hoarding boards that close the space off whilst regen work is taking place.

Action: Jamie to share consultation link to Aimee for Youth Forum in February and keep in touch with the forum as project develops for feedback.

Each January the Youth Forum support an annual Holocaust Memorial Day at the Guildhall by greeting guests, offering traditional Jewish bread and reading out the Statements of Commitment and lighting a candle.

Due to the ongoing impact of Coivd-19 the event will be pre-recorded this year and shared via social media channels.

Each of the young people at the meeting recorded one of the statements in front of the HMD backdrop to be included in the video. This will be shared on Thursday 27 January.

Action: Aimee will arrange a Challah bread making workshop for later in the year ahead of the next HMD event.

Forum members used A3 maps to mark spaces in the town centre, and the wider town, where they feel safe and unsafe. Lissy led the group in writing down details about what made everyone feel safe or unsafe in specific spaces in Northampton.

Aimee will collate this information, along with information collected by youth providers at other youth sessions, and take it back to a multi agency group to look at ways to resolve issues or make improvements around perceptions of safety.

Action: Aimee to bring maps back to next meeting to continue the conversation and add to this when we will have more time.

·       Market Square Consultation – Aimee to include on February agenda to gather youth feedback on proposals.

·       Community Safety Mapping – bring back to build on the work started in todays session.

·       Review action plans for 2022.

Thursday 17 February, 10am to 3pm