Hope in Haringey’s annual youth summit took place at Tottenham Town Hall and marked the end of a 10-month police engagement programme at 5 partner schools.

By Omar Alleyne-Lawler, Communications and Police Engagement Manager

Sponsored by Youth Echo and the Safer Neighbourhood board, Hope in Haringey brought the 2025 Haringey Youth Summit to the historical seat of power in the borough, Tottenham Town Hall.

Schools were invited to present their experience of the year’s engagement programme

Opened by former Mayoral Candidate for London and Freedoms’ Ark founder, Nims Obunge and co-endorsed by the Peoples Action Collective, this year’s summit concluded a series of police engagement events that took place throughout the 24/25 academic year.

With the project’s five participating schools invited to the summit, this year’s event focused on Haringey young people’s confidence in the police and asked the following five questions:

  • “What was your experience of the Youth Echo Programme at your school?”
  • “What did you learn by taking part in the Youth Echo Programme?”
  • “What was good about your interaction with the police and what was missing from your session?”
  • “What are the challenges impacting a Haringey young person’s confidence in the police?”
  • “What recommendations from this summit would you make to increase this confidence?”

On hand to hear these reflections would be officers representing both the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police. Responding to student queries and reflections, the conversation between schools and officers would be free-flowing and informative.

  • With the summit closing, students would request Hope in Haringey adopt the following takeaways:
    Both students and officers wish to continue schools-based police engagement in the new academic year.
  • Students wish more of their peers could participate in the project and would recommend the sessions they attended to more young people, including other schools.

    With over 60 participants at this interactive summit, the flow of ideas collected views from several schools and police disciplines.

  • Students wish to have more police visits, see positive police stories on social media and wish to visit police stations to get an even better understanding of police activity and priorities.
  • Students believe recruiting women and people from BAME backgrounds will help improve police – community relations.
  • Students respond well to uniformed officers and wish to see uniformed officers near their schools and social hubs to improve feelings of safety.
  • Young people fear gang retaliation for reporting to the police. As such, greater efforts need to be made to inform young people about anonymous reporting.

Hope in Haringey would like to thank everyone from Dukes Aldridge Academy, Gladesmore Community School, Park View, Mulberry Academy Woodside and Harris Academy Tottenham and engagement officers from the MPS and BTP for participating in this year’s police engagement events.