A recap from the Whitby Community Alliance meeting – 20 May 2025
On 20 May, a committed group of local organisations gathered at Flowergate Hall for a purposeful and energising meeting of the Whitby Community Alliance (WCA), focused on how we can better support our children and young people (CYP).
The session brought thoughtful discussion, practical ideas, and a real sense of shared direction.
Who Was There?
Representatives attended from:
Carers Plus, Caring Together, Flash Company Arts, Hope Whitby, Living Well, Pannett Art Gallery, Ryedale Community Transport, WHISH, Whitby Group Practice, and Whitby Youth Club.
What We Talked About
The Local Picture
Children and young people in Whitby face a range of complex challenges, many shaped by rural isolation, limited transport, and restricted access to suitable activities and spaces. These concerns reflect themes in the Child of the Northreport, which outlines persistent regional inequalities across the North of England.
Inclusion and Diversity
WHISH shared powerful insights from their work with young people who live with over 50 different impairments and syndromes — many of them rare. Their input reminded us how important it is for services to be flexible, inclusive, and responsive to the full range of needs in our community.
Youth Voice in Practice
There was shared agreement that embedding Youth Voice in service design and delivery is vital. We need to involve young people not just in feedback, but in shaping the work we do from the ground up.
Access, Aspiration and Opportunity
We discussed the need to open up more facilities and create more opportunities for youth volunteering. Helping young people build confidence, skills and real-world experience will strengthen the future of our community. Volunteer experiences create a virtuous circle of community action — sparking engagement, ownership, and long-term involvement.
As one participant put it: “You have to see it to be it.” Providing visibility of opportunities and role models helps to broaden young people’s horizons.
FORGE and Creative Connections
We also looked at the work of FORGE, the Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP) for North Yorkshire. FORGE connects schools, arts organisations and community groups to improve access to creative and cultural opportunities for children and young people. Aligning Whitby-based efforts with this county-wide network could open up valuable new partnerships and projects.
What’s Next?
The group agreed to establish a new Children and Young People Action Group under the Whitby Community Alliance. The group will focus on identifying shared priorities and developing collaborative strategies to improve opportunities and outcomes for local CYP.
It will be co-chaired by Rebecca (Flash Company Arts) and Yvonne (WHISH).
If you’d like to be part of the Action Group, please just send me an email — we’d love to have you involved.
Save the Date
Our next Whitby Community Alliance meeting will take place on:
Monday 17 June 2025
Theme: Vision for Volunteering in Whitby
We’ll be exploring how to grow a strong and inclusive culture of volunteering — one that works for young people, older volunteers, and everyone in between.
Flash Company Arts 
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