VOICE Issue 1

VOICE

A MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE BY YOUNG PEOPLE

BE HEARD

IN THIS ISSUE

ARE MY RELATIONSHIPS POSITIVE? This is ‘A Time to Change’ to save our climate

EDUCATION, RIGHT OR PRIVILEGE?

IT’S GOOD TO BE KIND tate’

e Es From ‘Kids off th to one of th

e biggest in

ISSUE 1 2021

die playlists

YOUNG PEOPLE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY

Our Rotherham 10 Interesting facts about our Rotherham

5

CONT E WHO ARE WE?

4

SOUTH YORKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE

9

SOUTH YORKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE

10

All about why we started VOICE magazine

2020, Our Year of Success

Niamh

THE FUTURE OF BESPOKE TRAINER DESIGN

7

A Guide to Being a Better Ally

Keep on colouring

CRAFTY CORNER

12

BEAVERS

13

Make a Dream Jar and learn oragami.

1st Rotherham Beaver Scouts talk community

14

8 RELATIONSHIPS Erase the Hate Rotherham Youth Cabinet Tackle Hate Crime

What a bad one looks like!

11

YOUTH VOICE CHANGED MY LIFE

An interview with Emilia Ashton, Youth Cabinet

BLACK LIVES MATTER Poems

Untitled-1 2

16 18 16/03/2021 08:05

E NT S 19

INTRODUCING RYC

Rotherham Youth Cabinet

MAKE LIFE EPIC

20

22

Education A Right or a Privilege

24

VOICE interviews The Reytons

Why make a bucket list

HIGH PRAISE FROM THE HIGH SHERIFF

21 Young people from Rotherham are recognised

26 30

32

33 35 36 Untitled-1 3

WHO IS OUR YOUTH PARLIAMENT

Meet them and a Youth Councillor

28

climate

IT’S NOT change TOO LATE,

CLIFTON PARK MUSEUM

Photography Competition

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

NCS Rock the Town Centre

Screen time and Bullying

29

YOUNG PEOPLE

Our fight for Equality

34

YOUR 2021 PLAYLIST

38

MAKE AN IMPACT How we rasied money during Lockdown

FUN PAGE

Music to make you feel better

Just a bit of fun!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP!

Help and Support

16/03/2021 08:05

WHO ARE WE? The magazine project emerged from the determination of many young people who wanted to break the many negative stereotypes that revolve around them in Rotherham, by establishing themselves as ambitious changemakers. This project united the youth from all backgrounds and enabled them to amplify their beliefs about the many key components of society, hence the project is called ‘VOICE. During quarantine, as many of us waited for time to pass, others searched for opportunities. Amongst this category were the few individuals that embarked on a ‘Media and Journalism’ course and empowered themselves with crucial life skills, for instance the ability to determine whether something is fake news. Some weeks later, the participants of this course were reunited by this Magazine Project and we ventured out to search for further members of this amazing team.

Even a pandemic could not stop the young people of Rotherham from creating change!

Through regular online meetings, we managed to create a vision: a product of the hard work our young people put in to not only challenge many controversial stereotypes but also amplify their voice. However, finally, as we got better with managing the virus, we had the opportunity to meet up at New York Stadium.

There was a week in the half term, where the team physically worked on the many aspects of the magazine. This is where we met for the first time and created the name “VOICE”. We got to know more about each other and even started writing articles. This was the main part of our meeting. After the week together, we met every monday online. This was to make sure that the work could continue beyond face to face. It was important that we carried on working together and made sure that the magazine was ready. We wanted the young people of Rotherham to have an inspiration in us.

by Rosie and Ahmad

4

Our Rotherham

When we think about Rotherham, preconceived and negative ideas usually come to mind. We are never usually told about the achievements and creations founded by Rotherham and the impactful contribution it has had in the development of the modern world.

1

Here are 10 interesting facts about Our Rotherham: Did you know that Rotherham and the V&A are connected? They both hold Rhinoceros Vases. These were made in 1826 and are both part of the prestigious Rockingham collection as the proprietor, Thomas Brameld, was owner of Swinton Pottery. The magnificent vase situated at Clifton Museum was at the time of production, the largest piece of porcelain to have been fired in one piece anywhere in the world!

So did you know that a young female social entrepreneur, Sophie Maxwell, who has her Really NEET college here in Rotherham was the person chosen to represent the UK when 10 young people from around the world including Barbados, South Africa, Iraq, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Bangladesh and Nigeria were brought together at Windsor Castle to discuss gender equality as part of the One World Summit, at Windsor Castle… hosted by Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

2

Sophie Maxwell is one of those truly inspirational people who has taken her own life’s experiences and traumas and turned them into something to help others - check out her TedTalk https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0E4RA3uF2HY

4

3

Check out this film from 1960’s that boasts just how forward-thinking Rotherham was after the war, that it had ambition and a collective approach to making the town great - it uses the word pioneering a number of times. AND our Rotherham Story and its 3 themes were still as relevant then as they are now: https://player.bfi.org. uk/free/film/watchrotherham-up-todate-1961-online

Did you know that Rotherham’s Youth Cabinet scooped 5 out 6 awards in the regional finals of the Youth Voice Star Awards?

The awards are run by the British Youth Council to celebrate the breadth and diversity of youth work regionally and nationally. All set now for the nationals later in the year, we have high hopes for these amazing young people, demonstrating a positive, dynamic, caring, talented group of emerging young leaders we have in our town. We congratulate the work of all the young people who are associated with the Youth Cabinet as well as the fantastic people who support them. Rotherham Youth Cabinet are a group of young people aged 11-18 who make decisions which have a positive impact on the lives of young people. They aim to ensure young people’s voices are heard and influenced throughout our 5 community.

5

Rotherham has been a successful market town for over 800 years its original royal market charter was granted by King John in the year 1207. The town was placed on the map by the Archbishop of York, Thomas Rotherham in the 15th Century.

6

The Chapel of our Lady on the bridge, built in 1403, is now one of only four surviving medieval bridge chapels in the country.

7

Rotherham was once the cannon making capital of Great Britain with the cannons made by the Samuel Walker Company being the pride of the British navy. By 1795, Rotherham was producing 22,000 cannons a year. Eighty of the cannons found on Nelson’s flagship Victory were made in Rotherham, taking part in the battle of Trafalgar and these cannons can now be found all over the world. This is in Riverside House.

8

The magnificent Wentworth Woodhouse has been home to many renowned dignitaries, including two-time Prime Minister and the 2nd Marquis of Rockingham.

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham, born in Wentworth, was the Prime Minister Of Great Britain from July 1765 to July 1766 and from March to July 1782. He led the parliamentary group known as Rockingham Whigs, which opposed Britain’s war (1775–83) against its colonists in North America. https:// www.britannica.com/biography/CharlesWatson-Wentworth-2nd-Marquess-ofRockingham

9

10

In 1730, Joseph Foljambe patented the Rotherham Swing plough. Foljambe from Rotherham built and patented a plough having what was described as, the perfect implement then in use. Known as the ‘Rotherham Swing Plough’, because no depth wheel was used, it was constructed from a wooden frame with the fittings and coulter made of iron and the mouldboard and share covered with an iron plate. This new design was considered by all who saw it, to be more efficient and lighter to pull than any other kind at that time. For many years this design proved very popular and was used extensively up and down the country. It was perhaps the first to be!

6

By Curtis Yip

SIGN E D R E IN A R T E K O P S E Article by Al-Husna Shafiq THE FUTURE OF B

Niamh

We wanted to tell you about this fantastic young lady that through the challenges of lockdown found her talent and potentially a new enterprise.

Niamh had started her first year at Leeds University after completing her A levels and flying the nest for independence and pastures new. She describes the lockdown as “surreal”, initially she didn’t find it too challenging as she was surrounded by her family but as she moved to university things changed. She found herself in external housing with her best friend which was fun but still very isolating when everyone else is in halls on campus or at home with family.

Niamh told us that she has a very creative family which inspired her to become interested in art and she’s currently studying Special Effects Makeup at university although at the moment she’s only in university one day a week.

So back to the story, what is Niamh’s talent and how has she used it to set up a business to generate her an income during lockdown.

for more information contact niamhwork222@gmail.com

VOICE interviews Niamh he told s t a h w is This

us:

Why did you start customising trainers?

“I was inspired by a Tik Tok video as it was my best friend’s birthday and I wanted to make her a present so I made her some Space Jam trainers”.

Have you studied art?

“Yes I took GCSE and A level Art and Special Effect Makeup at college but as I said I also have a talented family so it’s in the genes”.

What happened when people saw the trainers?

“As soon as people saw the trainers they started to ask me to paint them a custom pair”.

How long does it take to make a pair?

“It takes about 24 hours over 2 weeks as you have to leave them to dry at different stages”.

So how did it become more of a small business?

“Unfortunately due to COVID-19 I lost my job within the first month or two of arriving at university, so I turned my hand to use my skills by customising trainers”.

What are the most popular designs?

“TV Programmes such as Rick & Morty, Space Jam and Snoopy”.

What’s your favourite trainer to paint & if you had to choose a design which would it be?

“It would definitely be Nike Airforce One as they have lots of space to paint on and the design would be Space Jam, who doesn’t love Buggs Bunny”.

7

A GUIDE TO BEING A BETTER ALLY Being a good and supporting ally is one of the best ways to make people feel safe and loved. Most people won’t have to go through the confusing process of figuring out their identity, however others may go on a journey of self-discovery to figure out their own identity.

It can be for a number of reasons that can include; gender dysphoria or feeling you are different to your peers, not being attracted to a gender, being attracted to multiple genders, low amounts of or no feelings of omantic attraction toward people.

Ask what pronouns th

e person uses

A personal pronoun is the words you use when referring to a person, an example of this is He/Him and She/Her. A person’s pronouns can be very important to an individual although the pronouns they use might not always seem to relate to how they chose to express themselves, this could be how they dress or the name they use. When you ask for someone’s pronouns politely it is not seen as rude as you have chosen to ask them before you prejudged the pronouns the person uses. If you are unsure of how to properly use a person’s pronouns you can politely ask them to explain how to properly use them.

Why it’s important to let people express

themselves

Freedom of self-expression is something that more people are beginning to advocate for especially in the arts and fashion. Self-expression has led to new talents being discovered, ideas being created and people finding careers or jobs. Allowing people to express themselves with something they love and have a passion for shows that you care and support them.

Why family support is important When someone is a part of the LGBTQ+ community it can be very daunting to come out and tell the people who they are close to and care about their identity or sexuality. When families are supportive it will significantly help and improve the person’s mental health and relationship with their family as people want to be able to be themselves and not hide who they really are.

By Jamie

8

2020- The Year of Success and Affliction In life I always live by the quote “life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain”, but I never thought that this year, this quote would apply as much as it has to me. Without this quote 2020 would have been even more difficult than it has been with the current pandemic, loss and uncertainty. This however, has not stopped the success that has occurred.

At the start of 2020 not one person would have predicted how this year would have turned out, especially me. At the beginning of this year, in February, I signed my papers with the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to become a volunteer cadet instructor, after being a cadet for three years and coming up to turning eighteen, it was the end of my journey as a cadet. I decided to carry on my journey as a volunteer as the Fire Service had been a massive part of my life and I was not ready to leave. Doing this then opened up even more opportunities. In March I was invited to attend an International Women’s Day event to help inspire young females to be empowered to do what they want in their life and to never give up. This event also inspired me to see how many women were successful in the Fire Service.

However, not long after this event it was announced that the world was now in a pandemic and this turned everyone’s day-to-day life around. We were now left in our homes with the uncertainty of what was going to happen and if we would all come out of this safe. Sadly, this virus has brought some loss to many people and all services, mainly the NHS, had to fight a big battle for everyone’s safety. As many people were told that they were no longer going to be able to attend school, I was still continuing with college online, which became stressful. To help in these times the cadets decided to do a fundraiser for the Fire Fighters Charity called the “999 Challenge”. This was a national fundraiser, that each district got to pick what they wanted to do based on the number 999; South Yorkshire decided as a whole they were going to run/walk 999miles between each other. This helped to keep our spirits high and kept the cadets in contact while our sessions were cancelled. In the time of lockdown, I also received news that I was going to begin my recruitment for on call firefighter, which became a surreal, yet frightening moment as I was still only seventeen at the time. I also was nominated for the Women in the Fire Service “Young Role Model Award”, I could not believe my eyes when the email came through, I was in disbelief.

9

Eventually, we slowly started coming out of the lockdown, I had now turned eighteen and normality was starting to return, with some precautions. I was invited to do some training at our training centre, things were very different as we were not allowed many people in the room, we were all spaced out and could not great one another with a hand shake. That day I had only thought I was going in for the training, to my surprise the Chief Fire Officer, Alex Johnson, was there with my certificate and badge for the Young Role Model award. This was an amazing opportunity as I was presented an award from a successful woman in the Fire Service. I still could not believe I actually was nominated in the first place.

Fast forwarding to times now, there is still uncertainty as we are in our second lockdown. Things are still looking up as cadet sessions have now started online, I am close to doing my driving test, I am still in my recruitment, I have applied for university, my final year college is well on its way, and we have just started a new fundraiser making and selling Christmas cards out of old fire hose to raise money and buy gifts for the elderly in our local area this Christmas time.

So even though this year has been a hard and difficult time, many great opportunities have come out of it. We are all in this together and will eventually find a way to live normally with the virus. For those struggling with the situation remember “life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain”.

By Charlotte Pickering, 18 (South Yorkshire Volunteer Cadet Instructor)

10

Keep calm Colour on

Erase the Hate

By Emilia Ashton

Rotherham Youth Cabinet tackle Hate Crime Rotherham Youth Cabinet decided for Hate Crime to be one of their campaigns this year as during a consultation with young people, it was identified as one of the biggest issues for young people in Rotherham following on from their successful cultural awareness event in November 2019.

To start our campaign, the group took over a RMBC Scrutiny Management Board meeting to find out what was already happening with Hate Crime in Rotherham. After this meeting they wrote a report which was approved at a Council meeting and they are now working with partners on the actions and recommendations in this report.

But first and foremost, what is a hate crime?

A Hate incident is any incident that the victim or any other person thinks was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on one of the following personal characteristics: • Disability (including physical disability, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, mental ill-health, long term illness or health conditions) • Race or ethnicity • Religion or belief • Sexual orientation (for example lesbian, gay or bisexual people) • Transgender identity (for example trans people or gender reassignment)

Tackling Hate Crime despite the Lockdown Despite the lockdown the Youth Cabinet has powered on with their campaign. So far, they have created two videos so far on racism and disability hate crime and they will soon start our next one on sexual orientation hate crime. They have worked with specialist groups of young people to help make sure they are giving the right messages in these videos.

The group have also been working with Rotherham’s Community Safety Team to create a Hate Incident Pledge and Charter for Schools in Rotherham and have received some funding from them to create posters to raise awareness of what Hate Crime is and how to report it.

These will be distributed to schools, public places, transport interchanges etc to try to raise more awareness.

Members of Youth Cabinet are also trying to encourage people to take up training which is available for young people to help become more aware of Hate Crime so that they can help reduce it. The Violence Reduction Unit have a programme called Mentors in Violence which can help challenge Hate Crime and Remedi have also written a training package about Hate Crime which is now available. The group aim to encourage all schools to take up this training to enable their students to learn about this.

We have recently been working with the Community Safety Team to create a Hate Crime Charter for schools in Rotherham. The aim of this is that all schools and colleges can sign up to this Charter to pledge their support for tackling hate crime.

“We have been working really hard throughout the pandemic to ensure we can get the right message across to erase hate crime in our society”, said Curtis Yip, who has been working closely on the campaign. “We hope that through out work we can encourage young people to stand up and speak out if they witness a hate crime”.

Next Steps One of their next jobs now is to create some posters about Hate Crime; highlighting what Hate Crime is and how to report it and they have received some funding to have these printed so they can distribute them around Rotherham.

How to report a hate crime If it’s an emergency – phone the police on 999 Alternatively phone the police on 101 Young people can also report hate crime at www.fearless.org

11

CRAFTY CORNER Make

a 2021

Dream Jar

1) Write down 100 wishes that you would like to make come true for the coming year.

2) Then once a week (or month), draw a dream out of the jar and make it a reality.

To make it more interesting you can have different categories ( education, leisure, adventure and social) be sure to colour code them though :)

To make an ORIGAMI shirt

12

1. Take your square of origami paper, fold and cut in half.

2. With the coloured side facing down, fold the bottom edge up by a third.

3. Flip it over and fold in half.

Open out again and fold the 2 sides in to meet at the centre.

4. Fold the bottom 2 pieces out at an angle to make the shirt sleeves.

5. Flip the paper over and fold the top edge down about ½ cm.

6. To make the collar you need to flip it over again and this time fold the top 2 pieces in at an angle.

7. Fold the bottom edge up, tuck it under the collar and press flat.

8. Jazz up your origami shirts with tiny buttons or a paper tie and you’re all set.

The 1st Rotherham Beavers Scouts have been working towards their Community Impact Level 1 Staged badge. Out in force doing good for our community, the Beaver Scouts undertook the “Sponsored Step Challenge “ to raise food for the local Salvation Army foodbank. Each Beaver Scout set their own step challenge & then asked friends & family to sponsor them in food e.g. tins, cereal, pasta, rice. The Beaver Scouts successfully raised a number of bags of food donations which will go out to local families in times of need, all whilst having a fantastic time exploring the outdoors.

Beaver Leader, Jo Stubbs told us “We wanted to give back to the community & help those in need. Everyone has been hit by the pandemic in different ways & we didn’t want to add any extra pressure on to our Beaver Scout families - this challenge seemed to tick all the boxes of getting the Beaver Scouts outside with their families, being active, having fun - doing what Beaver Scouts love best & we gave back to the community at the same time. It has been a very successful challenge & one we will run again.”

13

RELATIONSHIPS

BY Rosie

What a bad one looks like.

The world is not perfect.

Especially not the relationships some people have. In fact some are far from it. Sometimes you don’t even know whether it is not good for you or if it’s gone bad.. All you care about at first is how they feel about you and what they want.

That’s what I thought at first as well. I was happy and even in love. I didn’t see that he wasn’t good for me and that he was the reason my life was changing, and not in a good way. I got it into my mind that he was the one for me and that I could never be with anyone else, even if we broke up. I knew that he wasn’t good for me, but I refused to believe it and wanted to ignore all the people telling me what I secretly already knew.

It started off practically perfect and I was happy and had never been more in love. After about two months, he started acting differently, as though he was getting rid of the act he was putting on around me. One day he came to me and sat next to me and said “give me your phone”, so I did. About ten minutes later, he gave me it back not telling me what he had done.

I went into my phone to call my brother and that’s when I saw what he had done. He had gone through my contacts and deleted all the men from my phone. The only ones he left were my dad and himself.

I asked why he did it, and all he said was “because I love you”.

Obviously I was confused. I asked myself, “how is this love?” and why if he loved me would he cut my friends out of my life. It didn’t stop there. He went through my snapchat, my Instagram, my Facebook. He went through everything. I didn’t take any notice of what he was trying to do to me.

He wanted me for himself.

I was told by all my family and friends that I should have left him after that, but I didn’t listen, I stayed.

We were together for around 8 months after that. Then it really started going downhill. He was starting to change even more. He went from my Prince Charming to Prince Hans overnight. He started getting angry at me for what felt like nothing, I could breathe funny and he would fly off the handle. I was trying to ignore it, but life

was getting and

harder harder.

I was in y11 at this point. I was getting tired of pretending to be happy and normal. I would come home from school and just dissolve. I was relying on my family and my closest friends to get me through the day. It got to the point where I was going to school just to be away from everyone and be at somewhere safe. I went to his house every day after school at one point just to go home with a fresh batch of bruises and even a broken finger on two occasions. I had to go through that to realise what he was doing was NOT love. It wasn’t even close.

How could so meone who said they loved me treat me like that? If he loved me then surely he would have the decency to treat me with respect and not beat me for anything he wants. I was totally lost in my emotions and just wished that it would stop.

We were together all in all for 18 months. It was not easy, but I knew I had to make him stop.

I didn’t know how, but one day I got a text off someone who I hadn’t spoken to in years. It felt very bizarre at first. I hadn’t told them what was going on and I didn’t know anybody who would tell them. She messaged me saying “Hi, I know that we haven’t spoken in ages, but I just felt like I needed to tell you to do whatever you are thinking about.

You are strong enough to do it and you will be ok”. I knew then

what I had to do.

14

RELATIONSHIPS

What a bad one looks like.

I met up with him in a public place (with my friends in the shopping centre just in case anything happened) and told him that I was not his to beat and shame and treat like mud.

Of course he didn’t like what I said. But he let me leave and was surprisingly ok. I was still scared for the first few days after we broke up, jumping at shadows and scared of what was round the corner. It had been so long since it was just me and no one else.

I was scared that he was still there and was going to come for me.

After about a month, I knew that I was safe. It was over and he was gone. I started getting back to my old self and I started laughing again. I got all my friends back, they understood what happened.

There was the odd person who was still angry at what I did, but all in all everything was going back to like it was before. Ask any of my friends, I was a different person and that it was like he had drained all the life from me. I had finally got back to being myself.

There isn’t always a happy ending to relationships.

Some,like mine just don’t workout.

Here are a few top tips to remember when getting into a new relationship:

• If you feel uncomfortable at any point, then tell someone you trust.

• Remember that no matter what the other person says, it is never your fault and you are not to blame.

• Let go of anything that reminds you of them and the bad feeling they created.

• Try and look at what’s happening from an outside point of view to see what others do.

• Imagine your best friend in your situation, what would you want them to do?

• Don’t let it go too far? If you feel in danger, find somewhere safe.

Are your friends and family supporting you? Do they know? If you are in this situation and looking for some help and someone to talk to, there are many charities and groups that can support you through this. These charities are local and are there to help.

1. Rotherham Rise, If you are a young person experiencing violence or abuse in your own relationship you have a right to have your feelings and your relationship taken seriously whatever your age. You can call Rotherham Rise: 0330 2020 571 2. Rothacs (Rotherham abuse counselling service), provide FREE specialist counselling for women, men and young people who have experienced abuse at any time in their life. Call them on 01709 835482 3. National Domestic Abuse Helpline – Call them on 080 2000247 They are available 24/7 and are free to call and talk to you in confidence. If you are not confident enough to call them, then they are available to chat online for as long as you need www.nationalhelpline.org.uk 15

“Youth Voice changed my life” An interview with Youth Cabinet volunteer, Emilia Ashton

By Curtis Yip

A lot of things can change in 7 years. We have had 3 elections, left the EU and a global pandemic. Yet despite all that change, Emilia Ashton has remained part of Rotherham Youth Cabinet team and continues to help make change for young people across the borough. I had the opportunity to sit virtually with Emilia to find out a little bit more and why she claims youth voice changed her life.

I think. I remember being nervous – like really nervous – as I didn’t know anyone, and I arrived really early but the first person I met was so friendly. I was instantly made to feel part of the team. That’s it, I’ve been here ever since.

Emilia with youth cabinet worker, Sarah.

Curtis Yip (CY): Thanks for chatting with me, Emilia. First of all, I think we need to know how did you get involved with the Youth Cabinet?

Emilia Ashton (EA): It’s no problem. I get the dates wrong every time I’m asked but I believe that I joined Youth Cabinet in February 2014. I had been part of my school council at the time and Sarah [Bellamy, the youth cabinet youth worker] and Lisa [DuValle, who works with the LAC council] came to speak to us about youth voice and the opportunities in the borough. They wanted representatives from my school to join the Youth Cabinet. I had a lot of free time back then as I’d broken my ankle, loved the idea so decided along with a friend that we’d go along. She’d been to a meeting before so told me it would be great.

My first meeting was February half term – I still remember that meeting as clear as day -, and my friend couldn’t come as she was in Cornwall –

CY: What is your proudest achievement in those 7 years?

EA: That’s so hard. We made so many changes on a variety of different topics from introducing the major changes to the 16-18 travel pass meaning that it was accessible to young people in the school holidays and apprentices – that’s one thing that I am really proud of.

I’m also proud of a project that we worked on when I was MYP, which was to get a motion passed by the council to say that they support Votes at 16. That was a really lengthy process, but it was incredibly rewarding when the motion was passed by the council.

I think the work I am supporting the Youth Cabinet to do at the moment on education surrounding the pillars of hate crime. I have a feeling that the work will change and improve lives in that sense.

Rotherham Youth Cabinet’s Body Image conference

However, if I had to pick a piece of work that makes me the proudest is the Youth Cabinet’s continued work to stamp out the stigma surrounding Mental Health. I think in the 7 years that I have been part of the group, the stigma surrounding mental health has significantly reduced and personally I believe this is because of our work. We have probably covered every aspect of Mental Health from self-harm, general mental health, and body image. Health and Body Image conference.

16 Untitled-1 2

16/03/2021 08:32

We’ve worked with CHAMS and to see the plans for all pupils in schools to have access to front line mental health support makes me really happy because that will change lives.

CY: Why would you say Youth Work changed your life?

EA: Without going into too much detail throughout all the rough patches of my life youth work has always been there for me. Not only as an escape but also somewhere to talk to but also somewhere to seek support.

I think it’s also all the skills you learn from being involved in Youth Work as well from teamwork, leadership, communication, presentation skills and confidence.

These are skills that have heavily influenced the decisions I have made in terms of the course I am studying at University. I also feel like youth voice has also allowed me to have the confidence to be able to live, work and study abroad which was truly life changing.

Not only that through youth work, but I have also met friends for life, who I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for youth work. So, I’d definitely say youth work has changed my life.

CY: Do you think the issues for young people have changed over the years?

EA: Not necessarily, I think public transport, mental health, votes at 16 and a curriculum for life have always been prominent since I have been in Youth Cabinet and still are. However, at the moment I think some more global and national issues have become really prominent recently in terms of Knife Crime and Climate Change.

CY: I think another question on everyone’s mind is why are you still involved in youth voice?

EA: I believe youth work has played a prominent role in my life thanks to the many volunteers. I volunteer still with the group as I want to be able to provide the opportunity for young people to continue to benefit from the examples of positive role models, which I had.

I also believe that there is still so much change left to make. I am still involved in the group so I can help make that change for future generations.

CY: And finally, why would you encourage people to get involved with youth work?

EA: Honestly, it really changes your life for the better.

CY: Thank you so much for taking the time out for an interview, Emilia. It was really insightful.

“BE A VOICE, BE HEARD” 17

Untitled-1 3

16/03/2021 08:32

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter, When I say those words what do you think?

You say all Lives matter but when a black man dies all you do is blink You say all lives matter but tell me is that what you really think Its “ all lives matter “ whilst our brothers are murdered in the streets But we are villanised when we protest on our knees “ i just don’t agree with the associations, or the lies that you feed” You’re blinded by your frustrations till the point you can barely see We tried peaceful protests but you muted our pleas White people riot when their football team wins But when we riot for our lives it’s “ black people will never be pleased” Basic Human decency will solve all our appeals “Britain isn’t racist “ or so you think Racism is our reality but through your tinted glasses these things you do not see Black women are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth, but obviously racism doesn’t exist Black people receive harsher prison sentences even if it’s the same crime they commit So before your quick to say “ all lives matter” have a think Does Britain reflect this or is it just from your privileged seat you speak ?

By Keren Mafutha

FOOD Food is delicious, Food is amazing!

Food is nutritious, Food is praising!

Food is what we need, Food can sometimes be free!

Food is the best, But chocolate is better than the rest!

By Ayathola Sibanda

18

Introducing Rotherham Youth Cabinet

By Emilia Ashton and Amaan Saqlain

We all have heard of local councillors, who are elected by anyone over 18 to make decisions on what is best for the local area. However, did you know that there are youth councillors who represent your voices?

Introducing Rotherham Youth Cabinet.

The group pre-covid at their Children’s Commissioner Takeover event in March

Currently Rotherham Youth Cabinet is made up of around 15 young people aged 11 to 18 who live, learn or work in Rotherham and are passionate about the voice of young people. The young people, known as youth councillors, are unelected and are part of the group due to their passion for change making. The group works on projects and campaigns which they choose, which help to improve services and make a positive difference to the lives of young people in Rotherham.

They try to ensure young people in Rotherham have a voice and are listened to.

The group have worked on a number of different issues over the years including mental health, improving public transport, water safety, equality and hate crime and so much more. This year their aims are climate change and the environment, hate crime, improving public transport and mental health. The group also sit on local and regional boards, take part in consultations and work with other young people’s groups across the borough and Yorkshire and Humber region.

However, it isn’t all work and no play. In a world before the coronavirus existed, the group used to meet weekly in Riverside House to plan their campaign but also play games and (of course) eat plenty of biscuits. They also take part in team building residentials as well as regular meetings with colleagues across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The group is always looking for new members so if this sounds like something you are interested in, know a young person who would be interested in or want to work with the group then please get in touch with the group via their email address: rotherhamyouthcabinet@gmail.com

The idea for Rotherham Youth Cabinet came from the Rotherham Show in September 2000. Since then the group has gone from strength to strength including receiving a Diana Award for their mental health work in 2016.

Rotherham Youth Cabinet received a Diana Award for their Mental Health work in 2016.

19

What are your goals and dreams for the future ?

e t th i s i V

za f Gi o s mid

pyra

Why not make a bucket list ?

By making a bucket list you can keep track of your goals and take steps to achieving them in order to maximize the incredible experiences in your life.

Learn to Sky Dive

Each edition we’ll give you new idea’s to add to your bucket list 20 Help in a rescue centre

Four Young People from Rotherham are Recognised By The High Sheriff The South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit played host to a virtual event on Tuesday, 15 December for the High Sheriff to award certificates to four outstanding young people from Rotherham.

High Sheriff, Carole O’Neill presented Devon Ferns, Emilia Ashton, Josh Newbold and Curtis Yip, with the prestigious awards after they were nominated by professionals from Rotherham Council and Rotherham United Community Sports Trust.

Josh was nominated as he stood out as a key member of the team when he participated in the NCS programme, particularly when his team were required to plan and deliver a social action project in their community. Josh is a team player and a great motivator to get everybody involved. He is passionate about the community and making a positive impact to people who need it the most. Josh and his team decided to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. He has been volunteering for the hospice for over two years, both raising money and volunteering in the Hospice Charity shop.

He has raised hundreds of pounds and passed on his inspiration to other young people around him to get involved with charity work.

Emilia has been involved with Rotherham Youth Cabinet for approximately eight years. She has represented Rotherham Young People both locally and nationally as an elected Member of Youth Parliament. Emilia has worked on numerous campaigns including anti-bullying, open water safety, mental health, anti-racism, body image, cultural awareness and knife crime. More recently Emilia has created a range of social media campaigns to raise awareness of how to stay safe during Covid, sharing key messages and posting these across all Rotherham Youth Cabinet’s social media platforms.

Curtis was nominated after he was elected to represent Rotherham Youth Cabinet on a Regional level as Steering Group Representative. He represents Rotherham young people on the Regional Youth Climate Assembly and has worked with other young people to develop an Environment and Climate Change Manifesto which they are planning to promote to both national and local government and organisations. He has also been involved in creating a video to accompany a song written and performed by young people about the environment, to spread key messages around Climate Change. Curtis has also been involved in the group’s Hate Crime campaign and has been fundamental in the development of films to raise awareness of discrimination and hate crime.

Devon was nominated after he designed a leaving custody information booklet for ex-offenders returning to Rotherham. In addition, he has worked closely with Rotherham Youth Offending Team to offer insight into the service delivery, contributing to quality assurance processes to ensure that we are providing an effective service to young people. He has worked also with RMBC Early Help Services to produce a video about the benefits of Restorative Justice.

Carole O’Neill High Sheriff for South Yorkshire said: “It was a privilege to present the awards to the four nominated young people and to hear their enthusiasm and resilience when challenged.

“They all have a caring understanding of the community in Rotherham and how their work fits in nationally. They are truly a credit to the young people of Rotherham, South Yorkshire.”

21

Education – A Right or a Privilege?

By definition, according to the Cambridge dictionary, a privilege is ‘an advantage that only one person or group of people has, usually because of their position’. Based on this definition, education has to be considered a privilege due to it being only available to people living in more developed countries. Only 1 in 5 countries provide their citizens with a minimum of 12 years of free education. Education should be a human right, but currently so many humans are deprived of this opportunity that it continues to be a privilege.

With regards to whether education is a privilege or a right, people from different countries maintain opposing views. From experience, I have acknowledged that people from a less economically developed country often regard it as a privilege and those from a more economically developed country consider education to be a right. This is purely based on the fact that people from an MEDC will never comprehend the struggle so many citizens from an undeveloped country will have to go through in order to experience this privilege.

People from countries such as the U.K view education as a right because they are given this opportunity from birth. However, most people from less developed countries will often go through a deadly struggle in order to receive the privilege of being educated. Take Malala Yousafzai as an example. She was threatened with death by one of the most dangerous organisations on this planet, the Taliban, yet she continuously fought for her education, even after she got shot in the head. This resilience not only allowed her to achieve high-quality education for herself, but also for many others across the globe by becoming their voice. If education was a right, people like Malala wouldn’t have had to risk their lives in order to obtain it!

Having been born and brought up in Pakistan, a country containing the most outof-school children worldwide after Nigeria, I have always been conditioned to acknowledge that the education I received was a privilege – something that more than 50% of the 11-13-year-olds in Pakistan are deprived of. If education is really a right, then why, as of 2016, was 14% of the global population unable to read, write and access the simplest forms of education? What’s more, the majority of these illiterate people are girls, as many traditions continue to refuse to value the education of women.

A common reason for why girls are prohibited from going to school in these cultural areas is due to a lack of safety. When security is poor, crimes like rape are common.

Still, many of these girls bravely choose to go to school and risk their lives to receive basic education – a privilege they desperately need. If education were a human right for all, these girls wouldn’t have to risk their dignity and security in order to simply learn how to read and write.

Those students privileged enough to receive an education however, often do not consider it an advantage due to the heavy emphasis on performance which has made going through the education system feel more like a chore. The nucleus of this problem is that the education system currently revolves around getting students the best grades possible, rather than providing them with a pure passion for learning.

Yes, students need to be educated on general subjects like Maths, English and Science but they also need to be taught vital life lessons. These include the fact that their education is a privilege and that many across the globe are deprived of it. This not only educates our young people but empowers them to uphold the idea that the privilege of receiving an education ought also to be a basic human right everywhere.

We need to be educated because it is our right, but also because we should be informed about the injustices seizing the basic human rights from innocent individuals.

Human rights exist for no other reason other than that we are human, a fact which is not acknowledged by millions of people around the globe due to a lack of education.

We need to be educated about this, and much more, so we can inform others that it is their right to receive an education and not just a privilege.

I will conclude with the memorable words of Nelson Mandela who once said: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’.

23

Just Some Kids off the Estate VOICE interviews The Reytons

Q. Where did inspiration for the song “Kids off the Estate” come from?

A. “For us, we like to write songs about real things, real places and real events that have happened” “Kids Off The Estate, was written about what it’s like to round here, how we mention certain places eg; Clifton park being Disneyland, it’s so people can relate and understand what we’re talking about, yeah its crap but it’s what we have grown up with” “its relatable, but informative, because its true” Q. What is the one gig that sticks in your mind and why?

A. Jonny - “There isn’t really just one, there all great in their own way. The O2 Sheffield was nuts, we sold it out for the first time” Jamie - “They all have good points”.

Lee - “ When you think about a gig, you’re not thinking what happened on stage, you’re thinking about the things that happened back stage and travelling. Gigs for us are totally different”.

Joe - “Glasgow was incredible” “I was halfway through the solo to a Slice of Lime when I just felt hands around my ankles lifting me, soon after I was being surfed across the crowd”.

Jonny - “My favourite was YNOT, not a big stage, our manager was saying you need to put security gates infront of the stage , the organisers were like” nahh” its fine. Then 5 minutes in everyone just filled the tent and the security were panicing, they couldn’t cope, they had to shut the bar. The energy was just amazing”.

Q. What one piece of advice would you give to a musician who is wanting a career in music?

A. Jonny - “ Dont share a dressing room with Lee, be yourself, enjoy it, write music that you love. We write about where we grew up and the areas that we love. Thats why we’re here today because its for our community and the people that mean a lot to us”.

Q. Who would you most like to work/collaborate with in the future?

A. Jamie - ” You know who mine is gonna be , It’s Olly Sykes from Bring me the Horizon” Joe - “Jordan Fisher from Liberty, pretty sick “ Jonny - “ I don’t know who mine would be ( Joe jumps in “ Lionel Richie” ) Jonny then tells about his Radio Sheffield interview, he was asked the same question and didn’t know what to answer for a minute so said Lionel Richie :) Joe - “Michael Bublé Christmas Special , were not sure if he’s serious at this point .

Q. How do you like to relax when you have time off?

A. Jonny - ”We don’t usually get time off, but during lockdown I drank lots of whiskey and played War Zone. I’m not very good at it.”

Jamie - “Lee has just brought a VR head set and has a funny storey.”

Lee - “Yes, I broke my glass coffee table and Mac computer, it was that real (using VR) that when I had a grenade at my feet I tried kicking it away and booted the coffee table.

Another time, I tried pulling a grenade out of a belt and ended smashing a glass lamp Shade. I thought, this is realistic and then realised it was as glass went down by back.”

Q. When did you all start to learn your instruments?

A. Joe - “He’s still learning”, all Laugh Lee - “when we started out Jonny was like can you played guitar, can you playsaxophone “.

Jonny - “ No i didn’t I didn’t ask if you could play saxaphone”.

Lee - “All i could i play was acoustic so i ended up being bass. I don’t think any bass player sets out to be bass, they wanna be lead guitarist ( band - soz mate your not good enough ;) ) Jonny - I have to give him credit though it’s the one instruments that if you take it away you can notice, it takes the warmth out of everything, it sounds flat.

Shout out to the under dog “.

“There is no point in writing music that you don’t enjoying performing” “Don’t write music for other people, write music for yourself”

24 Untitled-1 2

16/03/2021 08:05

Q. Did your musical influences influence the music equipment that you use? And what is your brand of choice that you use now.

Jonny - “What evers on Facebook market place”.

Joe - “ What evers less than hundred quid. No seriously i never played much electric learning guitars i kinda found stuff when we first started writing, I fell in love with Telecasters. I love anything that Prince would play, thats what i want.

I love Fenders and Telecasters. Pedals i used to be obsessed with Boss Pedals but then meeting Ross i discoverced you can get amazing sounds from Custom Pedals and now he makes me everything for our songs”. Then he rambles on for another 10 minutes ;) Jonny - “Reyt answer that mate, ge em a brand and move on “ Q. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years’ time?

Jonny - “Every day that we do somthing as a band, were lucky, it could be here another 20 years or it could be gone next week. Its about enjoying the moments that we have, just embrace every minute.

I said to Lee on the way here, you just never now when it’ll end, you never one day he might get arrested ;) “.

Q. How did you meet?

A. Lee - “Me and Jonny knew each other through Open Mic nights and listening to local bands . We met Jamie in a recording studio after our first single, we were looking for a drummer.

Jamie - “They forced me in to it”.

Lee - “ Then we stmblud accross Joe “.

Joe - “I mean you’ve got that all in the wrong order “.

Jonny - “ Joe worked with me at Safe@Last and then i just couldn’t get rid of him. We never really planned to be a band but when we got together it was just the most natural sound and it just worked, without being forced”.

Q. Would you ever consider playing another genre?

A. Jonny - “Not really , we all have done everything Hip Hop, House , Grime. No matter what we’ll always write about something that means something to us”.

Joe - “What ever your listening to when your writing can influence your sound”.

What made you get into music originally ?

Jonny - “Not money” Lee - “ I didn’t pick an instrument up till i was quite old, my dad played all his life but couldn’t get me into. It wasn’t until my mid twenty’s when me a Jonny started hanging around”.

Jamie - I started playing guitar really young, then realsied i couldn’t play it , then i realised i couldn’t sing either, only thing i could do is play drums, and i’m not right good at that either ;) I set my own studio up, stopped playing music myself, then these guys ruined it for me, here we are “.

Joe - “I always listened tp music as a kid , my dad was a mint guitarist, i just said one year that i wanted to learn. My dad said you can but your not getting lessons, he taught me the first chord and that was it”.

Jonny - I never got into it cos i loved music, it was just that i didn’t do great at school. I had a Mentor who took me to Jade in year 9, when everyone else was doing PE i was doing DJ’ing lessons. It kinda went from there . I’ve been through House, Garage, Indie, Motown, every kinda music but i never really went to gigs it wasn’t my kinda thing. Now i absolutely love getting on stage and just telling our story and being with these guys, I’m just passionate about what we do”.

Q What made you call the band the Reytons ?

Jonny - “Reyt so , you know what a reyt un is, if your from round here. When we first started up we couldn’t decide on a name we wrote Slice of Lime and booked the recoding studios and still couldn’t decide. The suddenly i was driving on to my estate and on the street where i live these little kids were playing football, without fail every time i pulled in they’d just jump out on ye in the middle of the street. Same happened that day and i breaked cursing to my little Flippin Reytons these. That was it, it stuck “!

Jonny - chips back in “The kids alright by the way, only had 2 months in hospital, kidding “.

Q. Whats the one message you would give to your fans ?

Jonny - “I don’t look it as we have fans, we don’t fit , were not your stereotypical band. Our supporters our Reytons that are with us if you like are not people who drink in fancy bars, there normal people fron 8 - 80, their part of the Reytons family. These lot would probably just say buy more tickets ;)”.

“Flippin Reytons these!”

25 Untitled-1 3

16/03/2021 08:05

MEET YOUR MEMBERS OF YOUTH PARLIAMENT AND YOUTH COUNCILLOR

By Emilia Ashton and Amaan Saqlain

It’s not just on a local and regional level that your voice can be heard. Your voice is important on a national scale too. Whether you are passionate about Climate change, knife crime or even the education system, your Youth Parliament team represent the issues that matter to you.

But what is the UK Youth Parliament?

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) was launched at the House of Commons in July 2009 and held its first sitting in February 2011 in London. There are currently over 369 elected (Member of Youth Parliament (MYP’s) in the UK. The Youth Parliament enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better and are elected to represent the views of young people in their area to government and service providers. Run by young people for young people, everything that the group campaigns on is decided by the general population through their annual national youth consultation Make Your Mark.

Who are my MYPs? In Rotherham, the Youth Parliament team consists of 2 members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) and 2 deputy members of Youth Parliament (DMYPs) from across the borough. They were elected by young people in February 2020 and terms will last for two years.

The team aim to be visible and approachable and willing to help in any way they can. Here is a little bit about them.

26

Josie Brown (MYP) Josie is currently a member of Youth Parliament for Rotherham and has previously served as a Deputy member of Youth Parliament between 2018 and 2020.

Her hobbies include quizzing, travelling, and watching anime and her academic interests are politics, languages and foreign affairs.

She stood to be an MYP because she wanted to represent young people’s voices in Rotherham.

Some of the topics which she was elected on was climate change action, free college/university and a meaningful education to prepare us for life.

Amaan Saqlain DMYP For the last 3 years, Amaan has been working as a Youth Voice representative on a number of issues including mental health, improving public transport, and tackling racism and hate crime.

He stood for election as I wanted to be able to continue this work.

The topic he was elected on were cultural education, promoting youth voice and improving public transport.

He believes in the power of youth and that’s why he works to ensure all young people have a voice. He tries to achieve this by working as the young people’s rep on important boards or as the strategic director of the Kashmir Youth Organisation.

Iqra Chowdhary MYP Iqra is also a member of Youth Parliament for Rotherham. She is passionate about empowering others and making a difference. She feels like it is necessary for the voice of the youth to be heard, projected, and listened to.

Molly Kayne DMYP Molly is passionate about bringing change to the local and wider community in order to make change. She aims to amplify the voice of those who feel like they do not have a voice as everyone’s opinion and view matters.

She has ample experience as a Youth Voice representative, and she makes it a priority of hers to stand up for what’s right. She wants to tackle the issues that matter to young people, which she believes are Knife Crime, a Curriculum for Life and Mental Health. In her spare time, she enjoys playing sports, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

When Molly isn’t working with the Youth Parliament, she enjoys musical theatre, skateboarding and playing video games. The issues which she believes are important to young people are preventing hate crime, improving mental health and climate change.

So how do I get in touch with them?

The members of Youth Parliament are always willing to hear from you. If you would like to hear more about their work, work alongside the group or have an issue you would like them to help you with, then contact the group via email : ukyprotherham@gmail.com

Meet your Youth Councillor – Isaac Blake

Starting a new youth group during the middle of a global pandemic is probably pretty scary but Rotherham Youth Cabinet’s latest (and youngest) Youth Councillor did just that. I sat down with Isaac Blake to find out a little bit more about his experiences withing the group.

Emilia (EA): Thanks for agreeing to the interview Isaac, can you give me a brief introduction about yourself?

Isaac (IB): My name is Isaac and I am 11 years old, I have been a member of RYC for around six weeks.

EA: Why did you join Rotherham Youth Cabinet?

IB: I found out about RYC from my brother. He’d been in Youth Cabinet for a number of years and was also a former member of Youth Parliament. This really inspired me to join the group as I had heard so many positive stories about it. I had been waiting to join for as long as I remember and finally joined the group when I turned 11 and started year 7.

EA: The group work to make positive change in Rotherham. What issues do you feel matter to young people in Rotherham?

IB: I am passionate about Climate change and preventing Hate Crime.

These are really important issues in our time, we need to work together to prevent these starting with young people.

EA: And finally, what is your favourite thing about the group?

IB: My favourite part of the meetings is the debates and being able to socialise in lockdown! I’m looking forward to meeting everybody in person.

27

IT’S NOT TOO LATE,

climate change, we can all do our bit!

Let’s look at Climate Change so we can understand what it is all about.

Climate change is a change in the Earth’s climate. This could be a change in Earth’s temperature. Or it could be a change in where rain and snow usually fall on Earth. Livescience.com state that Climate change is any longterm alteration in average weather patterns, either globally or regionally. As this broad definition suggests, climate change has occurred many times in Earth’s history, and for many reasons. The changes in global temperature and weather patterns seen today, however, are caused by human activity. And they’re happening much faster than the natural climate variations of the past.

Here in Rotherham, young people are working hard to challenge and raise awareness around Climate change.

Here is Josh to discuss one project that has recently taken place.

A Time for Change – Music Video

Listen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8tYLa4HAc&t=29s The idea for ‘A Time for Change’ was developed through meetings between local youth action groups such as NCS and the Local Youth Council. As a body, we decided that climate change was one of the most pressing issues of the modern era and that developing an effective project to raise awareness for environmental issues, such as climate change, would hopefully play a part in the huge challenge of protecting the world we live in. With several keen musicians within the group, the idea of composing a song about climate change would be not only impactful, but enjoyable for those of us involved. When the first wave of COVID struck, our focus group was forced to be innovative in the way we wrote the song! resorted to online meetings, recording using our phones and producing the piece from home; a professional studio wasn’t available like we had initially intended. The song is not just about awareness for climate change, but about how there is time for change and a chance to improve the conditions of our planet; as empowered young people we are all passionate about protecting our surroundings.

As the song develops, the lyrics transition from awareness and facts about environmental issues to methods people can use to reduce their individual impact on the plant; the world is made up of many individuals that come together to be a society. I know I speak on behalf of the group when I state the opinion, young people aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow, they’re the leaders of today. – Josh Newbold

5 things you can do to prevent climate change...

1.

Learn about Climate change and carbon footprint.

2.

Don’t use as much electricity- for example just turn off lights and don’t charge you devices as often.

3.

Recycle- be responsible for your own waste, make sure it goes in the recycle bin. Take

control of household waste- YOU can be the one to make sure it is recycled.

4.

Research Renewable energy – spread awareness around renewable energy, such as, wind and

power. Renewable energy is better than using fossil fuels such as coal.

5.

Do something about it- Join local groups that challenge, inform and want to make a differ

ence like Rotherham Youth Cabinet.

28

“Young People Fight for Equality” We are a group of young people aged 15-17 taking part in this year’s ‘Keep Doing Good Programme’. The project (Racism in the Community) aimed to challenge participants in their views and opinions around equality, diversity and fellowship. Over the course of our 2 week programme, we bonded over our passion as young people to help change societal perceptions; engaged in intellectual discussions and created a safe environment to educate young people involved.

By Al-Husna Shafiq

An interesting activity in which we engaged in was ‘The Race for Equality’. This provided a physical understanding of the difference between BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) communities compared to people of other races.

In order to fully understand how hate crime can affect communities we had the opportunity to listen and question Mariam Shah from Barnardo’s about her personal experiences involving racism. Mariam talked about the importance of empathy on the topic of BLM (Black Lives Matters) and discrimination.

“Communities are so polarised by the issues in the media or by what’s happening all around us, –its having empathy for one another, empathy for the human race. We are all human, we just come in different colours, shapes and sizes. The world would be incredibly boring if we didn’t.

So instead, we should focus on what unites us and what makes each one of us unique. With all the bad things happening around the world at this moment in time, it’s understandable if you feel hopeless. That sometimes it feels like you can’t do anything to change it. The truth is you can!”

It was a pleasure to have met Mariam and empathise with the struggles she had faced.

Coming from an experienced view, this was extremely eye opening for us as young people which further fuelled our motivation to produce this article and our awareness video.

We collaborated a powerful and impactful video on hate crime showing our motivation to represent ourselves as equals. Did you know that hate crime is Illegal?

You are protected by 5 characteristics: race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and gender reassignment. If you feel that one of your characteristics is being challenged, this is a serious issue that must be addressed.

(Graph taken from Home Office website - https://assets.publishing. service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/839172/hate-crime-1819-hosb2419.pdf )

Our video can be viewed below by scanning the QR code or following this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaknByBNAtM&t=4s Rotherham United Community Sports Trust is a hate crime reporting centre for all types of hate crime. If you are in the local community and have witnessed or experienced hate crime and need support, please contact us on 01709 827767 or email us at community@rotherhamunited.net.

If you think someone is in immediate danger call the police on 999 or 101.

Overall as young people we believe that this project has opened our eyes to the many issues in which people face on a daily basis. We have been extremely lucky to partake in this programme and will proceed to challenge discrimination in the future.

“As a young person being involved in this experience, it has not only allowed me to voice my opinions but also listening about other views and personal stories inspired me to be a better individual and to always be kind to people no matter what they look like or what they believe in as there are people with hidden scars and wounds that are yet to express and voice out their struggles and hard times”- Al-Husna Shafiq.

“The journey of a thousand miles, begins with one small step.

Start with yourself, be hopeful, learn more, love more and embrace your future with unity “- Mariam Shah.”

29

Clifton Park and Museum Photography Competition My name is Robyn Young, and I volunteer at Clifton Park and in the Museum, and have been for almost a year now. I’m a member of the Youth Advisory Board and the Young Curators Group that take place at the museum, where we give our opinions on the museum and are a part of conversations to help better the museum.

Back in June, young people from around Rotherham were invited to send in an image of their favourite heritage building or site in the local area. 10 winners were selected, with all receiving a certificate signed by the mayor and a £50 Meadowhall voucher, and the lucky top 3 receiving a year’s membership with the society of photographers.

I entered and won the £50 voucher, my photography skills aren’t that good, I’ve always been better with words to be honest. When i heard about it, my first thought was “ooo £50, I could have a nice little Primark haul with that”, and then realised that made me sound like a terrible person, and i should enter because i would like to be a part of the local community. So, feeling like a terrible person, I entered. But to be honest, the voucher was the main reason I entered. I started to think about my favourite local pheritage site, and was immediately stumped. Do we even have any heritage sites in Rotherham?

After a 2-minute google session, I found out we have quite a few. Keppels Column, Boston Park and Wentworth Woodhouse to name a few.

30

While i dont have any memories tied to any of those places, I do have a couple to do with Rotherhams Minster; when I was 8/9 I performed with my school in the Minster at Christmas, it was my least favourite event of the year! The first year, I managed to cry on two separate occasions, the first time being when I realised that everyone in the pews would be able to see me from the pulpit where I was supposed to do a reading, and the second was just out of general fear. After reading that, I’m sure you’re thinking, “why did you choose the Minster if you have such negative memories of the place?”. And you’re quite right in thinking that, but it wasn’t all that bad as in the second year I played my clarinet as everyone was waiting for the choir to begin. I’ve performed a couple of times, specifically on the clarinet, but this will always be my favourite ever performance. So that is why I chose the Minster as my favourite heritage site.

Once i had decided on this, i needed to figure out when i could take my photo- this was more difficult than it sounds.

Due to Covid-19, the entire country was in lockdown and couldn’t really leave the house, so I had to wait for an opportunity to go into the town centre where I could quickly take a photo. Thankfully, my mother required paper a day or so later so we made a quick trip to Wilko, I took my photo and sent it off to be judged .

I found out in October that I was one of the ten winners, and was thrilled! My photo now hangs along with four others in the museum’s Covid-19 exhibition (i’ve also got a poem I wrote on display, the exhibition is essentially devoted to me), anyone who hasn’t seen the exhibition yet should definitely go along and have a look at the winners entries.

My meadowhall voucher lasts for a year, so I’ve been thinking of the different things I could use it on- Starbucks and nachos are big contenders at this point in time.

By Robyn

31

1, 2 ,3 O Clock 4, O Clock Rock In August of 2020 myself and a group of other young people were involved in a social action project, that raised money for the local charity Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice which is, a fantastic cause, we were proud to have raised funds for .

The project was music-based with activities such as busking which saw us performing a selection of songs as soloists and as part of bands in Rotherham Town Centre.

The event was a big success with many generous members of the public filling our donation buckets however, the highlight of the project was the 12-hour live stream that we took part in live from the New York Stadium. Our performance was streamed on several social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

From hard rock and metal to soft acoustic songs we made sure that our viewers weren’t disappointed musically and that they kept those donations coming in. By the end of the week we had raised over £500 and I personally feel very proud to have been a part of that, all while working alongside a brilliant group of people.

Jack Bulmer, NCS Grad

32

SCREEN TIME & BULLYING The online world is that which takes us all away from reality, a place where we can relax and let our mind wander from the onslaught of mundane life.

Whatever problems we have can be forgotten and be easily replaced with amazing videos, entertaining games, and interesting news. But there is a dark underbelly, bullying and there is no excuse. Here we`ll look at the facts behind the lights, the screen will be lifted.

Before we dive into how to identify it and the effects of this online menace and how it can be stopped, lets glance over some figures.

Statistics* say that around 764,000 children between the ages of 10 and 15 in England and Wales have experienced online bullying in the year ending March 2020. 52% of these people said they wouldn`t describe it as bullying, 26% did not report their experiences to anyone.

Online bullying can be anything from name calling to threats, each instance is as worse as the last, there is also nothing saying that name calling cannot turn into something even more serious.

By James Dore The online world should be a place for all to enjoy and should not be spoilt by the thought of such horrible acts.

There is always someone on the other side, whether they be in your country or across the world, someone is always there soaking it all up. There is NEVER a time that bullying someone using computers is a good idea.

With all this said what action should be taken in the event of cyber bullying?

If you or someone you know is experiencing bullying, you can contact: •First and foremost, talk to your parent(s) or guardian(s) •NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk •Childline on 0800 1111 If you believe that you or someone else is in immediate danger contact the police on 999. If the child is not in immediate danger call on 112.

In most cases listen to your gut, your conscience, if something does not feel right, or you feel uneasy then there is nothing stopping you from pulling the plug and turning it off.

This is the type of harm you can potentially subject yourself to every time you switch on a device, this should not be the norm this needs to be stopped. It is only by coming out that, something can be done. It is a tough process to go through, but once the ball starts rolling it cannot be stopped. You will feel empowered, able to do anything you set your mind on and being online will no longer be a scary or daunting thing, as STOP THE it never should be, you BULLYING! SHOULD enjoy your time online.

Solve the

problem, don’t create it!

33

2021

PARTY, FEELGOOD

YOUR

ESSENTIAL PLAYLIST

BY JAMIE

Neuroscientists have discovered that listening to music heightens positive emotion through the reward centers of our brain, stimulating hits of dopamine that can make us feel good, or even elated.

Here is our playlist for 2021 that we think will help improve your mood and make you feel better!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

34

Best of You by Foo Fighters Baby I’m Yours by Breakbot I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran Renegades by X Ambassadors 5000 Miles by BLOXX Bang! by AJR Moscow by Autoheart I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys Ho Hey by The Lumineers Royals by Lorde Kids off the Estate by The Reytons Just Like Fire by P!nk Sunflower by Post Malone Light It Up (Feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG) (Remix) by Major Lazer High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco Believer by Imagine Dragons Take On Me by A-Ha Shotgun by George Ezra Just got paid by Sigala Don’t Stop believing by Journey

CLICK THIS LINK TO GET THE PLAYLIST

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/53WWsAQHVKRSU7w2n3z6C9

Soduko The rules of the game are simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.

DIZZY MA

ZE

MENTAL HEALTH WORD SEAR

CH

1 Line Wonders

35

We are here to help!

This page is dedicated to helping and supporting young people when they most need it. Please contact these support projects and organisations if you are struggling.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE...

The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. We are here to help you take on any challenge you’re facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs.

Talk to us via our online community, on social, through our free, confidential helpline or our counselling service.

0808 808 4994 www.themix.org.uk/get-support

We’re the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health.

Are you a young person in crisis?

Text the YoungMinds Crisis Messenger for free 24/7 support across the UK if you are experiencing a mental health crisis.

If you need urgent help, text YM to 85258.

All texts are answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors.

Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.

DIVERT is a specialist substance misuse support service for young people aged up to 18 affected by drugs or alcohol living in Rotherham.

call on 01709 917651 or email divert@cgl.org.uk.

WhatsApp: 07407 107 890

36

Yorkshire MESMAC is one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country. We offer services to various communities across Yorkshire. We offer HIV testing, FREE condoms and lube, Pregnancy testing, Chlamydia and other STI testing.call 01709 427777, rotherham@mesmac.co.uk, for 1-2-1 support call 01709 242202

We are here to help!

We provide help and support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation. We can help with your relationships to make them more positive.

Call our Advice Line on: 0330 2020571 For 24/7 Support Freephone 0808 200 0247 which is National Domestic Violence Helpline. enquiries@rotherhamrise.org.uk

ReachOut is a preventative service providing support to children, families and communities affected by and/or vulnerable to child exploitation in Rotherham. The Service provides individual and group support, awareness raising in communities and schools plus outreach and dropins. We work with Young Carers who look after members of their family.

Call 01709 370393 or 01709 377157

The Consortium is led and controlled by its members. Members are committed to putting the needs and views of children, young people and families at the centre of their work. Here is a list of members that offer various support and advice for young people https://cypfconsortium.org.uk/member_directory

We work with children, young people and families who need some support before problems get worse. If you feel you would benefit from support we can help with the following: . giving children the best start in life . advising on places to go and things to do for teenagers and young people . Supporting families when needed. . Our staff will work with you to find a solution to your family’s needs, whatever they may be.

To make a referral call 01709 334905 Or visit https://www.rotherham.gov. uk/xfp/form/279

37

Making an “ Impact” During our Keep Doing Good programme we helped grow our non-profit organisation, “Impact”. We aim to spread kindness and raise mental health awareness.

Whilst doing so we aim to donate the profits to charities and organisations that support , those suffering from poor mental health and create positive changes in our community.

Over the course of two weeks we crafted a variety of positivity themed goods : wooden keyrings engraved with words of affirmation: “Every piece of you is perfect”, “you are my sunshine!”; handmade bath bombs; tie dyed socks; ornate bunting and small glass jars bearing glitter and positive art, all culminating in a fruitful market stall in Rotherham Town Centre – the profit generated to be donated to local organisations like ‘Talk and train’, who nurture mental wellbeing through exercise and conversation.

Additionally, in true NCS spirit, we played a myriad of games that built up teamwork, confidence and communication skills. From ‘Rock n Roll Politics’ to a toilet roll unravelling competition you name it we did it.

We also participated in a mental health workshop, raising own awareness whilst also learning how to look after our mental wellbeing. We even had a celebratory picnic in Clifton Park at the end of our programme.

The skills we gained form this project are immeasurable.

As well as building teamwork and confidence we gained experience in product design, marketing, finance and business management – the biggest gain of all however is the impact this project will make on our local community.

Written by Lauren Hollingworth - Smith

38

M e e t

t h e

VOICE BE HEARD

Article Contributors South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Charlotte Pickering Rotherham Youth Cabinet - Curtis Yip, Emilia Ashton, Amaan Ali Saqlain Early Help - Jamie Uhure National Citizen Service (NCS) Rosie Rowlands Young Minds Together - Ayathola Sibanda, Keren Mafutha, Success Osagie, Sinokuhle Sibanda Artful - Robyn Young RUCST - Chloe Williams The Reytons (Band) RUCST - Jack Bulmer, Early Help- Jack Dixon, Devon Ferns NCS - Al Husna Shafiq Early Help- James Dore NCS - Niamh Holmes NCS - Ahmad Raza Early Help/RUCST -Josh Newbold 1st Rotherham Beavers - Jay & Lewis Impact - Lauren Hillingsworth - Smith Early Help - Matt Ellis RUCST/NCS - Carole Foster

Additional Support David Beddows - Rotherham Advertiser Martin Holden - Broadsword Diane Clarke - RMBC Robert Shirley -RMBC Jackie Freeborn - Pioneers

T e a m Jamie - Writer & Music Connoisseur

Al - Writer & Peace Maker

Curtis - Writer & Man of Many Talents

Ahmad - Writer & Debate King

Rosie - Writer , Comedian & IT Whizz

Matt - IT Whizz & support

Carole -Support & Apprentice Graphic Designer

Funders Rotherham United Community Sports Trust Early Help Councillor Lyndsey Pitchley Councillor Alan Buckley On behalf of all THE VOICE team, thank you for all your support, contributions and enthusiasm.

If you want to get involved please contact us: voice.youth.mag@gmail.com matt.ellis@rotherham.gov.uk cfoster@rotherhamunited.net LOOK OUT FOR ISSUE 2 COMING SOON

VOICE BE HEARD

A MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

BY YOUNG PEOPLE