When our administration came into power, improving the lives for young people in our city was our top priority.
I’m pleased to make this week’s column a re-cap of exactly how we are doing just that.
Young people have been in luck across the summer thanks to the fantastic events provided by Family Hubs. They have worked hard to deliver accessible, free events for families across the city.
Since the start of the summer, they’ve welcomed over a thousand people to events such as outdoor adventure and ice skating. BBC Look East and MP Andrew Pakes attended the circus event this week to speak to the incredible and dedicated team, chat to some of the families and even have a go at the skills themselves.
It’s brilliant to have such an asset to the city, and to families across Peterborough. And one which our Government is continuing to invest in, with £2.8million confirmed by Government to continue the Hubs running and expand the numbers of families they can serve.
This week marked a point of pride for young people across Peterborough as they plan their next steps after receiving their GCSE results.
Students deserve a massive well done for all their hard work. Congratulations to everyone who got the results they were hoping for and good luck in whatever you go onto next.
Whether it’s college, Sixth Form or an apprenticeship, I wish you all the best. Moving on to the next stage of education can be daunting but I have faith that you will all thrive.
If you didn’t quite get the results you were hoping for or if you’re nervous about the opportunities ahead of you, don’t hesitate to speak to your teachers or career advisors for help.
The new school year is approaching so I’m sure that many of our residents will be busy getting ready for the start of term. It can be a hectic time for families, there’s always so much to do.
With kids growing so quickly, keeping their school uniforms up to date can be tricky, which is why I’m so pleased at the success of the recent free school uniform event.
The event allowed parents to exchange both primary and secondary uniform, helping to alleviate the cost and stress that can come with getting children back to school.
It was thanks to Peterborough City Council’s Recycling Education team, Peterborough Youth Council and Peterborough Family Hubs that this event ran so smoothly. Lots of effort and thought went into giving families the best opportunities for the new school year, so thank you to everyone who lent a helping hand.
I’d like to give a particular shout out to Youth MP Danielle Daboh, who has been dedicated to finding ways to help families cope with the cost-of-living crisis. Danielle and everyone who supported the event should be proud.
The Youth Justice team should also be applauding their efforts. The High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, The Hon Frances Stanley DL, was ‘deeply impressed’ by work carried out with young people in Peterborough in her recent visit to the city.
The Youth Offending Team is a vital service for Peterborough, working with young people aged 10 to 17 who have been involved in the criminal justice system.
As part of a huge expanse of work, the team offers projects and opportunities that offers support and interventions to prevent re-offending.
It’s gratifying to see a service that positively impacts the trajectory of young lives get recognised. Particular note was taken of the Firebreak scheme, which allows children to work with operational firefighters to learn CPR, road safety and basic life support.
In projects like this, the most important thing that the young people learn is how to build on their strengths and have confidence in themselves.