How Merseyside Police and partners are trying to improve confidence in young black people across the region

Merseyside Police Community Engagement held the last in the series of a six-week confidence building workshop developed for a group of young people, aged 11-16 from black communities across Merseyside last night (5 September).

Developed in collaboration with partners BAME Hub UK and Powerful Beyond All Measure (PBAM), both community-based organisations are passionate about working with young people to help them thrive and reach their maximum potential.

The workshops aimed to create an opportunity where young members of the black community could engage with Merseyside Police officers in a fun and interactive environment, ask questions and share feedback.

Each week had a different theme which covered educational topics such as stop search and policing powers; working with partners such as Merseyside Fire and Rescue; policing career options with inputs from the matrix and traffic departments and personal safety with a presentation from colleagues at urgent care.

To conclude the project, the last session was an input from the International Slavery Museum, sharing information about the history of the black community and local historical figures.

Community engagement inspector Az Rahman, who helped to develop this project, said: “I am proud to have helped develop this community project, which has been attended by more than 15 young black people from communities across Merseyside.

“The workshops have enabled us to engage with those who we may not ordinarily have the opportunity to, and based on the positive feedback we have had so far has helped to improve our relationships and break down barriers.

“A big thank you to our partners, BAME Hub UK and PBAM for their involvement and help in bringing this group of young people together each week. It has been a fantastic experience and one I hope to repeat with a new cohort sometime in the near future.”

The impact of these confidence police engagement workshops is clear in the feedback that has been received. One young attendee shared: “Before attending these workshops, I was wary of the police. Now, after interacting with officers and understanding their challenges, I feel more comfortable around them.”

Danielle Azanuwha, community development manager at Powerful Beyond All Measure, said: “PBAM is passionate about building safe and strong communities that thrive together. To have the opportunity to engage in the confidence project has been an empowering and informative experience for staff and most importantly young people.

“For our young people to engage with the police officers and other emergency services staff in an interactive, informal and educational space has been transformative.

“Their confidence as young black people has thrived, they have been empowered to see they have a seat at the same tables as their peers and trust within the police has grown immensely.

“We look forward to future partnership work with Merseyside Police and would like to thank Insp Rahman for all his time and commitment to this project and for all his staff team who showed immense dedication and passion throughout the project.”

Alice Maina, CEO/founder of BAME HUB-UK Network C.I.C, said: “Being part of this project has been a truly inspiring experience. It’s been incredible to witness the growth in confidence among the ethnic minority young participants as they engaged with the police and learned valuable life skills.

“This initiative has provided a unique platform for these young people to voice their thoughts and concerns, and to build relationships with Merseyside police force.

“At BAME Hub UK, we believe in the power of such collaborations to create lasting change, and this project is a testament to that belief.”