A digital youth charity has partnered with an independent law firm to collaborate on a project which aims to educate young people on police in the UK and empower them with knowledge about their rights.

The Mix is collaborating with Mishcon de Raya on the project, which will be led by insights from young people taking part in workshops to share their thoughts and experiences. The Mix will then use this information to create a series of articles and social media content to share with their audience of under-25s across the UK.

Mishcon de Reya will be offering expert input and contributing to content from a legal perspective, as well as funding the project.

The charity is aware of the fact that young people may encounter the police and hopes that the new resources will help them to feel as safe as possible when interacting with authorities. There have been many negative news stories recently about the police in the UK and across the world, and The Mix is aware that young people may be feeling a sense of mistrust and fear when it comes to interacting with police officers.

This project also comes at a time when public trust in the UK’s police service has fallen to a low of 66%, according to The Baroness Casey review.

Young people will be able to use the new resources to learn what their rights are if they are stopped, searched, or arrested by the police, how they can get support if this happens and how they can make a complaint about a police officer.

Further resources will offer more information on young people’s rights in relation to the police and will look at the police’s involvement in The Mix’s safeguarding work and what might happen if the police are called to intervene when a young person is at risk.

Zoe Bailie, Deputy CEO at The Mix said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Mishcon de Reya on this important project, which will bring young people much-needed resources about the role of the police and the rights of young people. We are extremely grateful to Mishcon de Reya for supporting this work, which is timely and will empower young people with the expert
information they need to feel safe.”