It’s our last drop of Youth Updates before we take a break for the summer, so hunker on down as we unpack a hot topic, trend, issue and our bussin’ word of the month.
Hot Topic: The Genny Lec
This year the 4th July isn’t just an American holiday. It is, of course, the ‘genny lec’ (aka the general election). Whether or not young people are politically inclined, there’s a lot that people will be voting on this year that affects the lives and futures of young people across the nation.
For those based in Scotland, people aged 16 or over can already vote and so, for those engaging in youth-work in Scotland, it’s a key time to help young people unpack what the general election means and looks like for them. Welsh young people can vote in local elections but not for the UK parliamentary elections which splices them between these two forms of voting.
Meanwhile, in England, the vote is still for 18 years old and over. However, several parties (Green, Labour, Lib Dem, Plaid Cymru, SNP) are wanting to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote and it’s part of their manifestos.
There are also several nods towards items involving young people in various party manifesto’s such as Labour’s hope for youth hubs in communities and Conservative’s plans to add mandatory national service, which would start as soon as September 2025. However, what is interesting is that only one in ten young people believe that politician’s prioritise their needs. (https://www.ukyouth.org/2024/03/only-one-in-10-young-people-believe-politicians-prioritise-their-needs-as-childrens-election-launched/).
Trends: Mullets Are Back
Mullets are making a comeback. The ‘business in the front, party in the back’ hairstyle is making a resurgence amongst young people – guys in particular – and is often seen with a matching moustache and perm to ensure the curls.
The ‘do’ reminiscent of the 80s has been slowly creeping in to popular culture over the past couple of years and some people reckon it came as a result of barber-shop closures during the pandemic whereas others have seen an up-tick in the style since main characters sported them on Netflix’s hit show ‘Stranger Things’. But however it came about, have you noticed your young people sporting the mullet yet?
Issue: Closed Youth Centres
The writing has been on the walls for a few years now when it comes to youth provision across the country and we are now beginning to see the effects of mass closures of youth centres and cuts to services.
Since 2010, two thirds of council funded youth centres have closed and the National Youth Agency says youth services have been cut by approximately 77%. For those still running, many are on a shoestring budget but with city centres receiving better funds than rural areas.
The fact is that with all these closures over the past decade or so, there are thousands of young people who have never known a thriving youth-work scene. 24% of young respondents say they feel they do not have a safe place to go to where they feel they belong and there’s also evidence of the impact of closures across various aspects of culture. One such item is that crime participation amongst 10-15 year olds increased by 10% in London boroughs most affected by youth centre closures between 2010-2019 and young people in these areas are more likely to be suspended from school since the reduction in youth provision.
We know that youth-work works, but the present reality is that there isn’t enough council-funded provision to meet the needs of those across the nation. Whilst this may sound negative and hopeless, it gives an opportunity for the church to rise to the challenge of meeting the needs of young people.
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Word Of The Month: Bussin
Bussin = It is primarily used to describe delicious food but may also refer to other awesome things, such as outstanding fashion choices, cool whips or slick bars.
e.g. ‘That sandwich was bussin’.