Youngsters welcome Swedish visitors for Youth Forum

A group of vulnerable young people from Tyneside teamed up with their Swedish counterparts to voice their concerns and ideas to Newcastle City Council about housing and employment opportunities in their cities.

The 18-25 year olds, from the Helsingborg area of Sweden, were in the region as part of a week-long exchange trip, which was hosted by members of Newcastle-based Youth Independence Forum, a Newcastle City Council and Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) supported group for young people who have been homeless or had difficulties with housing.

The eight Scandinavian visitors are part of Navigatorcentrum, an organisation which aims to improve employability opportunities for young people in Sweden.

The guests joined seven UK youngsters from Youth Voice (YHN), Barnardo’s and The Foyer at the Youth Independence Forum meeting, and ahead of the meeting, they met with Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, at the Civic Centre, to discuss their views.

Karen Adamson, operational manager for Youth Voice, said: “The aim of the Youth Independence Forum is to create an opportunity where young people can speak to decision makers, like Nick Forbes, to ensure that their voices are heard and they can make a difference.

“At YHN, we aim to improve opportunities for young people and by integrating them with people from different countries they meet new friends, develop fresh ideas and learn from other people’s experiences.

“This trip has been a fantastic cultural experience for everyone involved and it has really helped to build up employability, aspirations and a sense of shared European citizenship among the young people.”

Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council, added: “I was delighted to be involved in this exchange and was very impressed with the young people involved. The Council is working hard on the issues of housing and employability so it was invaluable for me to hear their first-hand experiences.”

Earlier this year, the Swedish group welcomed the seven UK youths to their country for the first leg of the exchange visit. It was organised to develop links between young people from different countries, encourage them to consider themselves ‘European,’ share their experiences of housing and employability services and discuss how young people can be involved in improving outcomes for their cities.

During the Newcastle leg of the trip, the youngsters took part in various workshops which enabled them to exchange their views on their aspirations and work and accommodation opportunities. They also experienced some of the region and enjoyed trips to famous sights including Hadrian’s Wall and the Great North Museum.