Islington Youth Summit
On the 9th April 2026, those working or interested in local youth safety came together with the Whittington Park Community Centre Youth Club to understand, discuss, and take action to create a safer Islington for young people.
The Summit was a culmination of a six month workshop programme, facilitated by Octopus Community Network, taking local young people through a process using recognised anthropological methods to explore what home means to them, what makes them feel safe, and what they would change in their local area. Throughout the process, a short film was created to explore these topics, telling the stories of local estates and the changes the young people want to see.
The film was shown at the Youth Summit, before the young people facilitated discussions with all participants, exploring the themes, and paving the way for action. All participants were encouraged to think of an individual action they would take away from the event, with a timed follow up date to update the young people on their progress. A selection of these actions can be seen below.
“One of the key protective factors for young people is... young people feeling like someone believes in them”
A number of key themes emerged from the discussions:
A lack of local spaces:
Many of the discussion groups identified a critical lack of safe spaces due to the lack of local youth clubs, specifically estate-based centres. One group in particular highlighted that the model of fewer centralised hubs doesn’t work for all because of concerns about safety the young people have when travelling across the borough. These groups proposed creating hyperlocal spaces for young people, using community rooms or centres that already exist on many estates in Islington.
A communication gap:
A few groups discussed the lack of communication about services available as the most pressing issue, pointing out that even where facilities exist, many families and young people don’t know about them and therefore aren’t accessing them. These groups proposed creating a centralised youth-friendly directory, sharing information about activities on a ward-by-ward basis and using social media and school outreach as key ways to share this information.
“What I found really powerful about the film was the fact that you sense the joy of the young people... there’s so much more to you than what you went through”
The importance of trusted adults and mentors:
As much as physical local spaces was consistently highlighted as a key need, multiple discussions stressed that a physical space isn’t enough on it’s own. Two groups in particular highlighted that spaces are only effective when they have trusted, relatable community leaders and mentors who create a positive environment, and build a sense of belonging. These adults must have a consistent presence for these trust relationships to develop over time.
A disconnect between organisations:
A frustration shared within a number of the conversations was a feeling that community organisations often work in isolation. They noted that better collaboration could help share resources, avoid duplicating efforts, and ensure young people across the borough are able to access more consistent support.
Modernising opportunities:
When discussing what youth provision should look like, a number of discussions took place on the need for practical life skills to be taught, as well as new technologies such as AI, to help young people as they move into adulthood. Participants discussed that youth clubs aren’t just about keeping young people off the streets, but should be places for learning relevant skills, as well as connecting with real-world opportunities such as apprenticeships.
Youth voice:
A strong theme across the discussions was to ensure young people are directly involved in decision making, where youth provision is driven by the needs and wants of the young people. Groups felt that decisions around where budgets for youth provision are spent should involve young people themselves.
Next steps:
Each participant was asked to share an action to take away from the day based on the film and the discussions. These actions were all dated, with participants sharing when updates will be provided to keep action moving forward.
Actions included:
Organising an environmental audit walkabout on the Elthorne Estate, with young people showing the Islington Council Community Safety Team key areas for improvement
Investigating the closed community centre space on the estate
Sharing the film and talking about the day with others
Attending youth spaces to speak to young people directly
Sharing information for young people to join local decision-making boards
Offer of mentoring opportunities
Creating connections to encourage collaboration
Talking to partners about how they could facilitate skills development within youth clubs
Co-designing Level 1 youth work course
Engaging with schools to show the film
Over the coming months, we’ll be following up with all those who attended the events, to understand their progress on the actions they committed to. We’ll keep this page updated with all the latest, and will soon be able to share the film for all to see, share, and encourage others to watch!
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”