Young people come together for anti-violence event

The Derby Hope Hack event saw young people voice opinions on racism, connections, social media and police relations.

Coinciding with the launch of Sceptre, the national week of intensification on knife crime, Derby Theatre hosted the 35th Hope Hack on Monday (11 November 2024).

Hope Hack was an impactful event organised by Derby and Derbyshire’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), aimed at empowering young people to voice their concerns and inspire change.

This event is part of a broader initiative by the Hope Collective, designed to encourage open conversations with young people about the issues they face within their communities.

Themed around issues such as racism, social media, relationships with the police, and personal connections, the topics for this year’s Hope Hack were chosen through feedback from local schools. These themes reflect the pressing challenges young people face in their communities, providing a platform for open dialogue and the sharing of ideas.

Tremayne Blair, Community & Young Person Involvement Officer for Derbyshire VRU, said: "It was amazing to see all the hard work VRU has done in the last few months come to fruition.

"This is just the beginning of what we can do to support communities and future generations, giving them knowledge to thrive."

The event featured a diverse line-up of guest speakers and performers, including:

• Nathan Parker, celebrated spoken word artist, who began and closed the event with powerful poetry performances that captured the spirit of the day.
• Nathan Addai, award-winning founder of Mental Roots, who highlighted the importance of mental health awareness and community connections.
• StreetDoctors, who educated attendees on first aid skills and the realities of knife crime.
• StrizzyStrauss, music artist and former youth mentor, who shared his journey of resilience and performed hit songs that inspired hope.
• Rukus, rap performance facilitator, who led an interactive workshop demonstrating the power of creative collaboration and produced a song with some of the young people in just 30 minutes.
• PC Spilsbury and PCSO Leverington from Derbyshire Constabulary, who created a dialogue a conversation about improving relationships between young people and the police.
• Jamie Dean from Derbyshire City Council, who led a presentation on the impact of social media and its role in young people’s lives.

The Hope Hack created a unique opportunity for young people to engage with community leaders, share their ideas, and collaboratively envision a future rooted in positive change.