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A partnership designed to boost confidence among young black students in Merseyside has held its final session.
The Merseyside Police Community Engagement—developed for young people aged 11-16 from Black communities—held the last in the series of a 6-week confidence-building workshop last week.
Developed in collaboration with partners BAME Hub UK and Powerful Beyond All Measure (PBAM), 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 from Urgent Care.
To conclude the project, the last session featured 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 the 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.” Another participant reflected, “The workshops showed me that police officers are there to help, not to harm. It changed my perception entirely.”
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