Young people across Surrey have been working with local police and community partners to improve safety and reduce low-level crime in their neighbourhoods, supported by a project evaluated by the University of Surrey.
Positive Futures involved young people aged 11 to 15 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Woking and Tadworth, where there were concerns about trust in the police or ongoing issues such as vandalism, drug use and littering. The project helped young people identify local problems and propose realistic solutions, working alongside neighbourhood officers, school staff and youth workers.
Across the three pilot sites, 37 young people took part in the Positive Futures initiative. The pilots were delivered in two secondary schools and a drop-in youth club. The University of Surrey’s evaluation gathered feedback through interviews with 14 young participants and 27 stakeholders from schools, police and community organisations.
The young people suggested practical improvements, including better lighting and CCTV around underpasses, defensive planting to prevent access to closed areas, clearer signage in parks, and more bins to reduce littering. Some of these improvements have already been put in place such as better lighting and CCTV in underpasses.
Early findings show that taking part in the project increased young people’s confidence, strengthened their sense of belonging, and improved their trust in local police and councils.
Professor Jon Garland, Professor of Criminology at the University of Surrey, said:
“Being involved in Positive Futures gave young people a real say in what happens in their neighbourhoods. They saw that their voices matter. For police and community organisations, listening to and acting on what young people tell us helps build trust. Our evaluation suggests this kind of approach has real value and could be replicated elsewhere.”
A full evaluation report has been published open access. The project team is exploring next steps and the potential to expand Positive Futures to more areas.
