The first Growing Up in the West Midlands event was planned by a group of people with diverse experiences of working with children and young people, the voluntary and community sector, and policy and strategy in the West Midlands region. Our plan was to start to explore if and how regional activity relates to children and young people and the voluntary and community organisations working with them. We also wanted to test the possibility of bringing children’s and youth organisations together to share experiences and create a powerful voice. In brief, we were putting a toe in the water to get a taste of what might be possible and to ensure that future regional activity is grounded in practice and experience.

The event was held with the following objectives:

• To explore common ground between children’s and young people’s voluntary and community organisations in the West Midlands
• To explore the region’s policy and strategy in relation to children and young people
• To explore the region’s policy and strategy in relation to voluntary and community organisations working with children and young people
• To create a network of people and organisations to have a sustained strategic influence at a regional level
• To have an enjoyable and rewarding day

A full report is attached at the bottom of this page in both Word and PDF formats.

See images of the event here.