Callum Dover, Secretary of Hereford Youth Council
In our last newsletter, we were delighted to thank Hereford City Youth Council for staging their fantastic Youth Winter Market in Maylords, Hereford, raising funds for West Mercia Women’s Aid. It was a vibrant and welcoming event, filled with crafts, competitions and information for young people, families and passers-by — topped off with a performance from the Women’s Aid choir. It was wonderful to see so many people come together on a busy Saturday in the city.
Since then, we’ve been keen to learn more about the Youth Council, the work they do, and what led them to choose West Mercia Women’s Aid as the charity they wanted to support.
Our CEO, Sue Coleman, recently met with Callum Dover, Secretary of Hereford City Youth Council, to talk about their recent projects, their priorities, and their commitment to improving life for young people in Hereford.
“It all stemmed from a consultation that the Youth Council did,” Callum explained.
“We asked 150 young people what it was like to live in Hereford. They highlighted safety, transport and the environment in particular.”
The results of the consultation were striking. 62% of young people said they did not feel safe when out at night in the city, making safety the Youth Council’s most urgent concern. As a result, they set their three priorities for 2025 as Safety, the Social Scene and Transport.
“When we realised how important safety was to young people, we wanted to do something practical,” Callum continued.
“So we decided to support a local charity that works with young people who don’t feel safe — at home, or in their relationships. The charity we chose was West Mercia Women’s Aid.”
The Youth Council has since published its first report, setting out the findings of the consultation and the priorities identified by young people across the city.
👉 You can read the report here!
Building on this work, the Youth Council is now exploring the theme of safety in greater depth. Working alongside Rural Media Company’s youth group, Point of View, they are asking young people aged 16 and over a simple but powerful question:
“Do you have a safe space? If you do, where is it?”
The aim is to reach 200 young people in Hereford, followed by a series of focus groups to explore the findings in more detail. Once the consultation is complete, the Youth Council plans to host Citizens’ Assemblies, sharing what they’ve learned across the city and using young people’s voices to help inspire meaningful change.
👉 Young people can take part in the consultation here!
We are hugely proud to be supported by Callum and his colleagues at Hereford City Youth Council, and excited about the conversations we’ve begun around working together to amplify the voices of young people — including those who are also victim-survivors of domestic abuse.
This partnership reflects the power of listening to young people, taking their concerns seriously, and working collaboratively to create safer communities. Watch this space!