Will you help us make this a Christmas to remember?
A Christmas when we raise the money needed to support young people to have a voice, to be heard by those in power.
A Christmas when we can kickstart a new campaign developed and led by young people who know exactly what it is like to interact with the police.
Will you join with us to ensure we can unlock the voices of children and young people who, at this moment don’t have a voice?
In our own direct legal work, and confirmed by considerable evidence, we see police powers being used on children, interventions which are traumatic and damaging. This includes the use of Taser, stop and search, strip-searching and holding children for long periods of time, often overnight in police cells. From April 2023 to March 2024, police forces in England and Wales used Tasers against children 2,900 times. In 2023, at least 23,047 children were detained overnight in police custody.
The children most likely to experience police interventions and be criminalised over their peers, are the most underserved children in our society: care-experienced, living in poverty, racialised, homeless, criminally exploited, with educational needs. The voices of each of these children and young people remain unseen and unheard; traumatised by police encounters and detention, pushed deeper into a system that damages each of their futures.
That should concern us all.
Together we can create change. Will you join us to give voice to the voiceless?
With your support and alongside Just for Kids Law, your Double Donation during this Christmas Challenge week, ensures we can deliver a new children and young people led campaign.
Children engaged in the project will decide the campaign focus, contributing to the broader aims Just for Kids Law has identified as paramount in this space a). make sure that children have their rights respected in their interactions with the police; b). ensure that action is taken to address racial disproportionality in use of police powers; c). address adultification bias in police forces.
The power to campaign for change, starts with hearing and sharing the voices of children.
Through mentoring, training, and team building residentials, under 18s with lived experience of policing will build skills, identify key issues, learn how to influence decision-makers and lead a national campaign to drive change.
Though our connections we will create opportunities for children and young people to engage in person with key decision makers, including Government Ministers and officials, parliamentarians, the National Police Chief’s Council and other senior police leaders, the Independent Office for Police Conduct and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services. Young campaigners will be supported develop their skills and to work with communications experts, co-creating digital and video content to amplify their voices and promote their campaign.
No matter what amount you donate, you will be joining with Just for Kids Law to ensure children and young people have their voices heard.
Together as a community of people who care deeply and can create change through our actions, connections and resources, we make a formidable force.
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