'Hackathons of hope' to tackle root causes of youth violence - local teens to lead the conversation

The latest of five ‘Hackathons of Hope’ in UK cities, designed to help tackle the causes of youth violence, kicks off in Oldham tomorrow (Saturday) and will be led by NCS (National Citizen Service) and Onside.

The event will be a series of youth-led peer-to-peer workshops – as part of the Hope Collective partnership – on different topics where young people discuss and debate the issues that underpin the crime and violence blighting the country’s poorest communities.

Called ‘Changing the Conversation’, the Hack at Mahdlo Youth Zone in Oldham aims to establish real change for the UK’s most vulnerable communities, help them to be levelled up and freed from poverty, violence and discrimination.

The collective is a partnership of organisations including youth charities, corporate organisations, health and justice professionals and the UK’s Violence Reduction Units (VRUs).

It started in 2020 to support the Damilola Taylor Trust’s 20th anniversary legacy campaign after the 10-year-old schoolboy was stabbed in south London, in 2000.

Shortly afterwards, it has received the backing of Prime Minister Boris Johnson who has declared December 7 - Damilola’s birthday – as an annual day of youth-led social action called the ‘Day of Hope’.

Damilola Taylor Trust Legacy Director Gary Trowsdale said: “This latest hack and the others in our cities are being driven by the young people themselves to move this great project forward.

“The youth leadership team came up with the title ‘Changing the conversation’.

"They were fed up with hearing about knife crime, gangs and drugs and instead wanted to talk about what solutions to poverty and inequality might look like if young people themselves were able to influence policies.”

The Hackathons format has been overseen by NCS and its chief executive Mark Gifford.

He added: “NCS is delighted to be part of the Hope Collective and we are excited to see how the project grows and develops.

“The hack events are a brilliant opportunity to put young people's voices at the forefront of these discussions and support them to explore and develop innovative solutions to societal challenges.

“Our events team, who developed the hack format, are passionate about the project and the way it brings so many different organisations into the mix in partnership.”

Damilola’s father Richard Taylor OBE said: “It is the 20th anniversary of the Damilola Taylor Trust this year.

"Last year’s plans around the 20th anniversary of the tragedy were sadly affected by the pandemic.

“What was so wonderful though was the way the Hope Collective fast became such an enormous project.

"The surrounding conditions that impacted Damilola’s death were clearly marked by the poverty and inequality in the place where he lived.

“It is long overdue that society’s attention turned to finding effective solutions rather than just focusing on the symptoms like knife crime.

"I was delighted when my friend, Prime Minister Johnson, gave his backing to my son’s date of birth becoming an officially endorsed day of youth-led social action and I sincerely hope that this project can help inform his stated ambition to create a fairer society.”

The first Hackathon of Hope took place in London in July, but there will be events in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow until November, in addition to Greater Manchester.

To commemorate December 7, there will be a series of online ‘hack’ events staged during the day that cover all the areas discussed in the physical events.

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