Knife crime, mental health and drug abuse will be top of the agenda at a Youth Conference taking place in Salford later this month.

Housing association Salix Homes and its youth panel Boost4Youth are hosting the event at Buile Hill Park on Monday, August 19 to help raise awareness of some of the real issues that affect young people today.

The agenda has been set by members of the Boost4Youth group, which is made up of a group of Salford teenagers who act as the voice of young people in Salix Homes’ neighbourhoods across Salford.

Jeanette Green, neighbourhood manager at Salix Homes, said: “We are incredibly proud of our Boost4Youth group who were formed to help us make a difference to the lives of young people living in our communities.

“Some of the topics up for discussion are really hard-hitting from knife crime to sexual exploitation and body image, but these are some of the real concerns facing young people today, which is why our Boost4Youth group felt it was so important to organise this event

“We hope our inaugural Youth Conference, which was the idea of our Boost4Youth group, will help open up the channels of discussion about these tough topics and let young people find out more information and raise awareness that it’s ok to share and talk about their own feelings and experiences.”

The event will comprise of a series of interactive workshops and sessions around knife crime, sexual health, body image and eating disorders, child sexual exploitation, healthy eating and exercise and employment opportunities.

There will also be a range of fun challenges, competitions and entertainment as well as refreshments served.

Salix Homes has teamed up with a number of partner organisations to deliver the sessions including the LGBT Foundation, Greater Manchester Police, the Audacious Foundation and the Salford Foundation.

Boost4Youth member Orin Oyewale, aged 18, said: “Our Youth Conference is a great opportunity for young people in Salford to get together and talk about some of the issues that affect us every day.

“Some people may find it hard to open up and share their worries and concerns, so we wanted to organise this event to help young people who might be struggling to come along and get support if they want it or just find out more information about important issues in a fun way.”

The Youth Conference is one of a number of events taking place as part of Salix Homes’ annual Love Your Neighbourhood Week, which takes place from August 19 – 23, and encourages local people to make a difference in their communities.

The free event takes place at Buile Hill Park Hall from 1pm-4pm. Register for your free ticket at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/salix-homes-youth-conference-tickets-68126242425

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