Young people brought organisations and residents together for a special community day featuring workshops, activities and advice in Shrewsbury.

The Community Day at The Lodge, Upton Lane, was organised by young people working alongside Shropshire’s Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) and the youth charity, All About Youth.

Young leaders helped run activities throughout the event, while the MYPs delivered workshops on mental health and first aid and gathered young people’s views about transport across Shropshire.

There was also a Youth Parliament workshop around money, helping young people understand more about their finances, with Santander supporting the workshop and offering their expertise on how it can be developed in future.

Visitors were able to meet representatives from a wide range of local organisations and services, including Shrewsbury Town FC Foundation, Shrewsbury Street Pastors, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, We Are With You Shropshire and MPFT Sexual Health.

There were some special visitors too, with Shrewsbury Town FC mascot Blue making an appearance and Shrewsbury Street Pastors bringing along their distinctive support vehicle, known as the Donkey.

Representatives from Tesco helped serve teas and cakes during the day, with cakes and pastries donated by Shrewsbury Food Hub.

Staff from Community Resource were also in attendance to chat to people about how they can help young people in a range of different ways.

Kerry Williams, area manager at All About Youth, said: “It was fantastic to see so many young people taking an active role in the day. They weren’t simply attending an event - they were leading activities, running workshops, asking important questions and making sure young people’s voices were heard.

“We are also incredibly grateful to all the organisations and individuals who gave their time and support.

“Bringing young people and the wider community together in this way creates opportunities for conversations and connections that might not otherwise happen.

“High-quality youth work is about giving young people the confidence, skills and opportunities to play an active part in their communities, and this was a brilliant example of that.”

All About Youth delivers youth work across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, providing safe spaces, trusted adults and positive opportunities to help young people develop confidence, skills and a sense of belonging.

The organisation is the first and only youth organisation in the Midlands to achieve the National Youth Agency Quality Mark for delivering excellent youth work.