Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit collaborate with Unity Radio on youth engagement programme

Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Kate Green, will be interviewed live on radio by local young people to talk about what is being done to prevent serious violence in the city region and the importance of making the right decisions.

This is part of a new partnership between Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and Unity Radio’s New Talent Academy to raise awareness of serious violence and knife crime through a series of conversations led by young people.

The partnership will see young people, aged 13-17, join one of three nine-week programmes, and discuss issues relating to serious violence that affect them in several workshops, before creating content to be aired live on Unity Radio’s NGY show.

The NGY (Next Gen Youths) are a group of young people, who travel from across the city every week to attend radio-training workshops and deliver a live radio show on Unity Radio. This includes music, features and information on area issues that affect young people. By creating peer-to-peer education and social scaffolding, they are helping to increase resilience among young people while safeguarding the vulnerable and at risk.

Interviews will also be conducted by the young people to understand different perspectives on key issues such as knife crime and exploitation and learn more about what is being done to tackle violence. Kate Green, the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Matthew Norford, the CEO of 1Message, will be two of the guests on the show.  

The project is one of many commissioned by the VRU to engage young people in positive activity, create discussion and build aspirations.

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime and Fire, said: “The Violence Reduction Unit’s partnership with Unity Radio provides a great opportunity for young people to meet and hear from people who have lived experience of violence, or have influence in how we try to tackle it.

“The young people on the programme will be broadcasting to thousands of other young people across Greater Manchester, provoking discussion, dispelling myths, and presenting different viewpoints.

“Giving young people the opportunity to gain new skills, and help others whilst doing so, is a key part of the VRU’s work, and I am thrilled to be able to support this exciting project.”

Lee Dinsdale, Director of North West Media at Unity Radio, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit. The NGY Show was created to bring young people together from different backgrounds, learn new skills and broadcast a live FM radio show with messages designed to keep young people safe.”

Unity Radio, an independent radio station based in Media City, Salford Quays, has on average 30,000 listeners a week, with the vast majority under the age of 30. The station aims to improve well-being amongst listeners, and has a history of reaching into communities with engaging outreach work, helping young people in the community and creating a solid foundation of local support across the region. 

Through Unity Radio’s New Talent Academy, a training and pre-employment vocational centre, each of the young people enrolled on the programme will receive an Arts Award.

To listen live to the NGY show, tune in every other Tuesday, from 7-9pm, on 92.8FM, DAB and online at https://unityradio.fm/.

Tuesday 21^st March

Tuesday 4^th April

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To listen back to shows, please visit https://unityradio.fm/.

Article Published: 10/03/2023 15:21 PM