Dear Editor,
Everyone’s Gang, the local youth-focused charity, have designed our own community initiative, The Community Voice, and with some financial support from the Bedfordshire PCC, we are launching our Community Voice pilot programme in January through to March 2026.
The Community Voice plans to give parents/carers and concerned citizens an opportunity to meet in a safe and confidential environment in order to share concerns, thoughts, and ideas on how we can create safer streets to keep all of our young people safe and away from crime and criminal exploitation of any kind.
We want, we need, to hear the voices of the community.
Then, Everyone’s Gang will act as the ‘bridge’ between this community group and the appropriate service providers.
Combining Everyone’s Gang’s lived experience mentors using their local non-confidential street intelligence with the real experiences of residents and people responsible for looking after our younger community members, we can make our voices heard, bringing about positive change.
We have a number of meeting dates, times and venues set up.
- The Blueprint (Everyone’s Gang’s own hub) in Kempston
- The Thomas Taylor Community Hub near Jubilee Park
- The Family Hub near Bedford Bus Station
Each meeting will have a theme (discussion topic), and we aim to bring in support from businesses and appropriate agencies to add their experiences to the group.
We have even arranged for selected Everyone’s Gang “Guardians” to go out on patrol with the Police to meet with young people in both urban and rural settings, to hear what concerns these young people have.
To promote the Community Voice, a poster is being circulated through schools, parents and organisations already using our services, as well as appearing in local community hubs. The QR code (above) takes you directly to registration.
This is a great opportunity for our community to influence our younger members and make everyone feel safer. If this pilot project is the success we hope, then it will be expanded and continued for as long as the community wants it to be there.
Please come and support us.
Best Regards
Pete Henrickson
Everyone’s Gang CIC
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