I joined kids count as a youth board member, an organisation which stressed heavily on providing practical solutions to common problems such as; gun and knife crime, bullying, abuse and many more.
I find it to be a content position to have the power to represent a voice,- and since joining Kids Count- especially that of my own generation.
Walking across the slippery floor of my tube station, I pick up one of the many Metro newspapers laid for the public. Front page, there is a picture of a young teenage girl around her teens and above the picture, bold block letters state her tragic death. "Killers in their uniforms", "16 stabbed at birthday party", The list is endless. Why do we as human beings or more popularly young people, see to violence, crime and abuse? Is it because of deprivation? To create fear for power? A result of peer pressure? Or perhaps a subconscious plea for help due to the lack of stability, that is apparent in many criminals’ lives.
The outcome of criminal actions seems predictable but their reasons mostly remain ambiguous.
Joining kids count has definitely enabled me to become greatly aware of my potentiality to contribute inchange.
I remember being asked why I wanted to join kids count "Well... If we don't encourage change now, it'll be too late in the future wouldn't it?". But I guess the greatest reason why I joined was to be able to represent and wear the factors which are responsible for giving all young people a bad name. A hope to contribute to the construction of change Kid’s Count proudly pursues. Is it worth it doing nothing about the problems we live next to? It may appear that violence and crime have been trapped in a closed circuit in our society, constantly repeating every morning on the front page of a newspaper. But personally, I think it is possible to create a monumental change, no matter how great the problem. I think the trick is to never give up, because if you never give up, you never lose.
Mel (Outer London)