Stuart Anderson MP is supporting Youth Awareness Day, which takes place on 16th October 2025. The youth-led initiative aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young people and raise funds for the county charities supporting them.
The campaign, initiated by Shropshire's High Sheriff, Jane Trowbridge, includes the 'Blue for Youth' focus day. Schools and county organisations are invited to wear something blue to show their support for young people.
The local community is also asked to donate what it can to local youth charities. Youth Ambassadors from schools and colleges from across the county will work with Shropshire Community Foundation to allocate the funds to charities and projects making a big impact locally.
Stuart is pleased to support the initiative as part of his plan to support local communities in South Shropshire, which is home to more than 20,000 young people. Stuart has updated his 'Supporting YOUth' webpage, which he launched in August.
Stuart has also spoken about concerns raised by young people over the lack of employment opportunities in South Shropshire, particularly in rural areas.
Stuart’s priority is to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young people, including the lack of affordable housing and public transport links.
As part of this, Stuart wants to continue working with local partners to grow conditions for young people to build their futures locally.
It follows research, which has found that 60 per cent of people aged 18-30 said that they expect it to become more difficult to find a job over the next five years.
The research from the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) has also found that 65 per cent of young people expect it to become more difficult to find a home. Meanwhile, 50 per cent said that most young people are struggling to make ends meet.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I am delighted to support this campaign that has been initiated by Shropshire's High Sheriff, Jane Trowbridge. This initiative shines a vital spotlight on the challenges faced by the 20,000 young people in South Shropshire and beyond. Research has found that most young people are worried about finding jobs and homes to make ends meet. Together, we can create the conditions for every young person to succeed and ensure they can live, work, and travel in the local area. This means tackling the lack of affordable housing, improving transport connections, and supporting businesses to grow."
