Who can believe it’s been a year since the disturbances of last summer shook our city?
It seems like an age since Wolverhampton was rife with false rumour about what was and wasn’t happening. Tensions were high after watching reports of the devastation in other cities.
I remember driving around the ring road on 9th August at about 5.30pm and it was completely dead; the rumours had frightened everyone away. Of course, that day, we did experience some disturbances.
Fortunately for us, they were not as bad as London, Birmingham or Manchester, in part because of our police and citizens. But what’s changed since then?
Well, certainly the economy is still a very difficult place if you are young and out of work. Our own Learning Employment Achievement Programme (LEAP) which launched this year aims to tackle that very issue.
LEAP will give young, unemployed people an opportunity to discover their strengths and harness their talents.
Supporting unemployed young people, many who may have grown up in households where no one has ever worked, to get into training and ultimately employment is one of our key priorities.
We’re also developing new business streams which will make it easier for them to contribute to the estate where they live and further their sense of pride in their communities.
Giving young people the opportunity to get involved with what’s going on in their area, listening to and respecting their opinion and yes, I know it sounds cheesy, but believing in them can make a difference.
I’ve been inspired by watching some of the videos of our young tenant ambassadors on our YouTube channel; articulate, passionate and natural-born communicators, they show what a positive future our city has.
