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Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), along with partners from the PSNI, Education Authority, and Crisis Café Newry, hosted the first Youth Safety & Wellbeing Conference at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
Held on World Mental Health Day, the event provided safety and wellbeing advice to over 400 students from seven local schools, including St. Colman’s College, St. Mary’s High School, Newry High School, St. Joseph’s High School, Sacred Heart Grammar, Our Lady’s Grammar, and Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School. Cool FM’s Stuart Robinson presented the conference, which featured expert talks across several key areas.
Presentations included Road Safety (PSNI Roads Policing), Sextortion and Online Safety (Newry Neighbourhood Policing), Knife Crime and Organised Fights (PSNI Armed Response Unit), and Mental Health and Wellbeing (Crisis Café, Newry).
Vice Chair of Newry, Mourne and Down PCSP, Michelle Osborne, said, “The youth conference was the first of its kind across our district and it was fantastic to see successful partnerships come together to deliver vital messages around safety and wellbeing. It is important to remember that safety and wellbeing are not just individual responsibilities, but collective goals. It takes a community to work together to create an environment where every person feels secure, supported, and empowered. Safety and wellbeing issues affect us all—whether we’re students, educators, parents, or community leaders.”
The conference aimed to encourage students to be advocates for change, promoting safety and wellbeing within their schools, on social media, and in their local communities.
PCSP and their partners thank all attendees, speakers, the Canal Court Hotel, and Bolster Buddies (Bolster Community) for their support. For more information, contact PCSP@nmandd.org.
