Platform 51

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Categories: regional news: Wales
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Cardiff youth meet their local PCSOs

Challenging negative perceptions of young people

Platform 51's Truth About Youth project, funded by The Co-operative Foundation, works with young people in six areas of Cardiff to challenge negative perceptions about young people and break down the barriers they face. A team of young people met with their local PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) to turn the tables and question them.

The truth team, All about boys and girls, interviewed the local PCSOs for the Truth About Youth newsletter. The young people felt it is important to get to know their PCSOs and find out how they really felt about theyoung people they work with. The PCSOs were glad to answer the questions and share their experiences. After, the truth team served tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits to the PCSOs.

PCSO Neil Crowley said: "youth engagement is part of what we do and it's a good way of breaking down barriers, this works better with small groups, like this one. The young people all listened well and the questions they asked were very good. It reminds you that when you see them on the street in gangs, they're just young people at the end of the day."

PCSO Laura Ropers expressed the importance of truth teams: "it does break down barriers and give them an opportunity to talk to us. It gives an opportunity to have a relationship with them and it's really valuable."

Joshua, a member of the truth team from Grangetown, said: "it was fun asking the PCSOs questions, we gave them a good impression of young people".