The Real Young London

Prague Visit

Justin Cole, the Young Mayor of Lewisham, along with his nine Young Advisors visited Prague as part of a British Council funded project. It was an opportunity for them to experience foreign culture, work with different nationalities and improve their awareness of local democracy and decision-making processes.

Young advisors & locals in Prague

During the meeting with a group from Gorna in Sofia, Prague, they discussed several issues relating to their local communities, such as the young coach project, which aims to train young people to become sports coaches.

But top of the agenda was improving the relationship between the local police force and young people.

The Young Advisors from Lewisham spoke about how they think the capital's police perceive them and the impact that has on how young people feel. The Lewisham advisors also expressed concern at what they said was the automatic stereotyping of young Londoners, who are often associated with gun/knife crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

Building Bridges

One solution to these perceptions is to work at building better relationships between the police, founded on trust and respect. It’s hoped this will then ultimately lead to better safety awareness among young Londoners.

Prague street art similar to London

Another way to diffuse the tension is to engage the young people through creative arts such as acting and performing in their local communities.

While in Prague the Lewisham advisors watched the show ‘Commedia Dell'arte XXL’, performed by the students of The College of Acting in Prague.

Nathan Edoo, one of the Young Advisors, had a great experience on the trip: "It was really fun and we're absolutely interested in developing acting and performing activities for young people."

He also went on to comment on how he hoped these opportunities would be open not only to young Londoners, but all the young Europeans and hoped their voice could be heard by local government.

Young Europeans' Cultural Integration

Apart from discussing hot issues, they were also actively socialising with other nationalities, sharing different experiences and learning from each other. They also visited Prague Zoo and Planetarium.

A cultural visit to Prague Zoo

The Young Mayor and his advisors said the trip had been a great opportunity to see how the same issues, surrounding young people in London and Prague, are being tackled. Both countries have the same aim, same dream and belief to help young Europeans achieve their full potential.

Young Mayor Project

Lewisham’s Young Mayor Project implemented in 2004, provides young Londoners from the borough (either living or attending school/college) with the opportunity to be elected as the Young Mayor of Lewisham.

The Young Mayor runs a budget of £25,000 each year for implementing different projects, which aim to improve the lives of young Londoners in Lewisham. Since 2004 they have run various projects around youth safety, sports and social activities.

All photos taken by Nathan Edoo - Arcadeia Photos