WHAT IS THE SHAPE YOUTH FORUM?
“Do you want to make a difference and improve the lives of young people in Sandwell?”
Join SHAPE Youth Forum and start making a change!
The SHAPE Youth Forum is an integral part of the Sandwell’s child’s voice initiative, the SHAPE Programme. It is a valuable tool to involve young people in continuing development of the borough of Sandwell. Members provide a voice for young people across Sandwell and have been consistently used as a consultative body for various initiatives concerning young people.
WHAT DOES THE SHAPE YOUTH FORUM DO?
If you have a keen interest in politics and would like to have your voice heard locally and nationally, then joining SHAPE Youth Forum is a great opportunity for you to represent your community.
SHAPE Youth Forum…
- Acts as an open forum for young people to come together to share experiences, views and discuss issues relevant to them
- Acts as a consultation, advice and discussion body for the SHAPE Programme where organisations and institutions can come and listen to young people to change services to suit their needs
- Is a place where young people start to learn to debate
The forum also organises a wide range of activities, programmes and events throughout the year, including the annual SHAPE Summer Fest and SHAPE Your Talent.
The forum also hosts two Youth Police Crime Commissioners for Sandwell who are elected by their peers, to work with West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s Youth Commission to look at community safety issues including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), radicalisation and prevent.
As well as the Youth Police and Crime Commissioners, there are two Members of Youth Parliament who make part of our Youth Forum. They are also elected by the peers, and as well as forum, will join British Youth Council representing Sandwell.
The Forum meets fortnightly from 5:45pm-8pm on Thursdays (refreshments provided).
We request that all members of SHAPE Youth Forum commit to attending at least one meeting a month.
For any additional SHAPE events and activities on different dates Forum members will be notified in advance.
Currently, forum meetings take place at Sandwell Council House, B69 3DB from 5:45pm to 8pm.
The Forum is supported by: Asha Lawrence & Rajdeep Atwal – SHAPE Project Support Officers
Ayyat Adigun – Chair of SHAPE Youth Forum
“I decided to join SHAPE because I wanted to have an impact in a society where young people are often deprived of the resources we need to thrive. Since then, I have grown in confidence with opportunities to take on roles involving public speaking and being voice for the people I represent. SHAPE is the one place where I am empowered, knowing together we can change Sandwell for good. Being the Chair of SHAPE is my biggest achievement and proof that youth-voice is really be a force to be reckoned with.”
TO APPLY TO BE A PART OF SHAPE YOUTH FORUM…
- You need to download and complete the ‘New Members Consent Form for Photography & Filming’ here
- Click here to complete the online form with all of your information here
- This will go directly to SHAPE, and you will shortly receive a reply from us!
We look forward to you joining us!
For any other enquiries about SHAPE Youth Forum, please email shape_events@sandwell.gov.uk.
