• YoungLivin' Home
• Search YoungLivin
• Advice
• Ask 4 Help
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Events
• Get Involved
• KYC (Kingston Youth Council)
• KYC Calendar
• KYC at Kingston Carnival
• KYC Meets Boris
• KYC Manifesto
• KYC Photo Gallery
• Learning and Earning
• Links
• Member of Youth Parliament (MYP)
• Positive Activities
• Staying Safe
• Student School Council Forums
• Weekly Poll
• Youth Opportunity Fund
• Youth Service Projects
• About Us

KYC Meets Boris

By Mayank Sharma

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, put on an event for young Londoners from all 33 London Boroughs at the O2 on the 17th September 2009. Young people had the opportunity to put their views and questions to the Mayor and select panel.

The O2 Arena was well designed according to the taste of young people with free drinks and food available. The event was covered by the Evening Standard, LBC Radio and ITV which made event seem more special. The panel was made up of:

• Pamela Chesters, Mayor’s Advisor for Health and Youth Opportunities
• Elvige Pouli, Peer Outreach Worker, GLA
• Tim Campbell, Bright Ideas Trust
• Isabel Dedring, Mayor’s Advisor on the Environment
• Munira Mirza, Mayor’s Advisor on Arts and Culture
• Ashley Banjo, ‘Diversity’
• James Cleverly, Mayor’s Ambassador for Young People
• Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

The event was divided into four topics:

1. Crime
2. Education, Skills, and Employment
3. The Environment
4. Culture and Sports

Crime

The event started with “Crime” as it was one of the major and key issues. Last year was horrific for young Londoners with regard to gun and knife crime; but since last year Met police have cut down the crime rate by 18% and they have taken 6,000 knives off the streets of London.

Boris Johnson told the young people new strategies that they are using to get them off the streets. One of them is called “Time for Action” which is to help those who are working with young people all across London to get them into positive activities, whether it is sports clubs, music or educational schemes of one kind or another - anything they can do to stop them from drifting into crime and to give them the opportunities they need. It's also helping young offenders who have already been caught up in criminal activities, trying to help them turn their lives around so they do not get involved in crime again, helping them get into work and get into college places. This range of initiatives involves working with organisations like the Scouts and Cadets to give young people things to do.

Education, Skills and Employment

The other topic which was most discussed was Education, Skills and Employment. In the meeting Boris Johnson unveiled that the 2012 Olympic Games will offer a fantastic opportunity for thousands of young people to get jobs in very difficult times. There are 65,000 contracts available for young Londoners and for businesses connected to Olympics. Boris also revealed that they have 3,000 apprenticeships across the GLA group. TfL are currently recruiting adults and young apprentices over the next year and the Metropolitan Police is also offering apprenticeships for young people. Tim Campbell is also getting big organisations to engage with Job Centres to offer opportunities to young people.  

Evironment

The Environment was one of the main issues at the event which is of major concern for London. Boris Johnson has promised young people to enforce the rules and ban smoking at public places completely as it’s affecting the atmosphere and environment around London.

Isabel Dedring mentioned that they are planting 20,000 new street trees and they are trying to focus on main areas where people have not traditionally had street trees, and they are investing £6 million in parks and deprived areas. Boris Johnson wants to encourage young people to use cycles, try to cut carbon emissions and promises to provide greener public transport, for example electric buses and cars by the time of the Olympics.