Young people campaign for safer buses

Ensuring young women can travel safely on public transport is among the campaigns which will be highlighted when members of a Blackpool-based youth group visit the Houses of Parliament this month.

United Youth Alliance (UYA) Young Women’s Coastal Social Action Group is
leading a movement to elevate the voices of young women in coastal communities.

Their work aligns with the United Nations campaign for International Women’s
Day 2025 on Saturday March 8, fighting for equality and empowerment for all women and girls.

Young women from the group will visit the Houses of Parliament in
March to lobby for the recommendations in the latest Plan International State of Girls’ Rights Report.

The report, published in July last year, found girls growing up in Blackpool face some of the toughest challenges in the country to achieve their dreams.

Girls and young women from UYA in Blackpool were among almost 3,000 surveyed nationally as part of the Plan UK State of Girls Report.

Recent campaigns include working with Blackpool Transport to tackle
the widespread issue of young women feeling unsafe while commuting.

Ella Humpfies, a lead campaigner from the group, said: “All of my school friends I talk to express feeling extremely unsafe and fearful when thinking
about commuting home from school in the winter.

“The darkness outside, poorly lit bus stops and shelters, and the presence of older men on the buses making inappropriate remarks towards them, even though they are likely in uniform, causes genuine fear.

“This should not be the case in any Fylde area, as the bus system travels as far as Preston from Blackpool, and many young people are completely reliant on this service to get to school.

“You would expect the security levels to be high and for buses to be a safe and
comfortable environment for young people, but unfortunately, this is not the case.”

Through their collaboration with Blackpool Transport, Ella and the Coastal Social Action group are working to implement tangible safety measures that will make public transportation safer and more accessible for young women.

Other United Youth Alliance projects include –

• Encouraging Young Women’s Participation in Sport and Physical Activity

UYA Coastal action group is leading a project to engage young women in sport and physical activity in partnership with Blackpool Football Club Community Trust, commissioned by Move Together Blackpool and Sport England.

This initiative aims to break down barriers preventing young women from participating in sports by gathering their insights through a questionnaire and focus groups.

• A Call to Action- Mobilising for Change: A National Movement for young people’s voices and social action

The United Youth Alliance is urging organisations, businesses, policy-makers, and communities to stand in solidarity with young people in coastal areas by signing the #IWill Power of Youth Charter and supporting the Coastal Social Action movement.

By amplifying youth-led activism and voices, UYA aims to create lasting change and ensure that young people’s voices are heard at every level of decision-making.

For more information, to sign the charter, or to get involved in the movement,
contact: socialaction@uyacic.org