Improving youth wellbeing in the north-east

Plans to improve the wellbeing of young people in the north-east have been explored as part of a roundtable discussion at the University of Sunderland.

Community organisations, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers came together (Wednesday 17 June) to discuss some of the pressing inequalities affecting young people today – including mental health, housing, poverty, employment, racism and transitions into adulthood.

As part of the North East Community Research Partnership, the session at Hope Street Xchange, City Campus, provided a space for people to share ideas and use local knowledge and frontline experience to inform research and policy.

By looking at real-life experiences in local communities, the group worked to identify common priorities and practical ways to improve young people’s wellbeing across the region.

This session was open to all, particularly those working across policy, practice, research, and community settings, as well as those involved in youth work, local government, social policy, and place-based initiatives across the north-east and beyond.

Dr Robin Finlay, Partnerships Manager and Research Associate at the University of Sunderland’s Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion, who chaired the discussion, said: "Tackling inequalities and supporting youth wellbeing is a social urgency that requires a united, regional response.

“This event highlights the vital civic role of the University of Sunderland and the Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion in bringing together diverse stakeholders. By collaborating across sectors, we ensure our research directly serves our city and the wider north-east.

“We hope this discussion lays the groundwork for practical, co-produced research and policies that offer real, measurable support to our region’s young people."

Contributors included Lucy Tiplady (Senior Research Associate, Newcastle University), Ruth Walker (All Together Consortium and Academic Tutor, University of Sunderland), Mariam Shaikh (All Together Consortium and Community and Youth Work apprentice, University of Sunderland), Kumareswaradas Ramanathas (RAM) (Young Asian Voices (YAV)), Shaun Hair (Member of Youth Parliament for the City of Sunderland) and James Fildes (Space North East).

The roundtable was jointly organised by Sunderland’s Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion and the Institute for Collective Place Leadership at Teesside University, and funded by UCL.