Youth Safety Snapshot: what young people from global majorityare telling us about Birmingham
Through Vibrant Voices CIC, I’m working with young people and communities in Birmingham to make sure their experiences and ideas shape decisions — not just in meetings and strategies, but in how power, investment and services actually work on the ground.
We’ve just completed our first Youth Safety Snapshot – “Young people’s safety and racism experiences in Birmingham” – based on a survey of 112 young people aged 14–30, carried out in December 2025. Most respondents are from global majority backgrounds, particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi young people, alongside Black African, Arab, Indian, mixed and White British/White other communities, with many living, studying or spending time in East Birmingham.
On the surface, safety looks “mostly okay”: on a 1–5 scale, the average safety rating is 3.8, and around two-thirds rate their safety as 4 or 5. Birmingham is a young city — over half the population is under 35 and around 182,000 children are aged 5–15. So when 1 in 12 of our respondents say they feel unsafe, especially on public transport, in city and town centres and online, that’s not a minor issue — it represents a significant slice of a very large youth population.
Racism and discrimination are part of the backdrop. Around 4 in 10 young people report racism, faith-based hate or other discrimination in the last 12 months, often more than once. Islamophobia, racist name-calling and “jokes” about ethnicity or religion appear repeatedly in their comments.
The hardest message is about power and voice. When we asked whether “adults in power (like school leaders, councils, government, police) listen to young people like me”, only 17% agreed. The average score was 2.7 out of 5 — below neutral. Many young people feel decisions are still being made about them, not with them.
They are also clear about what needs to change:
• stronger action on racism and Islamophobia in schools, colleges and workplaces
• better mental health support and trusted adults who actually follow up
• safe, youth-friendly spaces and activities in local neighbourhoods
• easier, more confidential ways to report problems, and
• adults in power who visibly call out hate and listen
This Snapshot is designed as a practical tool for schools, councils, youth organisations and community groups who want to ground their work in what Birmingham’s young people are really saying.
We’ll be formally launching the Youth Safety Snapshot soon and using it to open up conversations with decision-makers about safety, racism and regeneration in the city.
If you’d like to attend the launch, receive a printed copy, or explore working together around these findings, please contact me on info@vibrantvoices.co.uk.
Atif Ali BEM
Founder, Vibrant Voices CIC