Abstract

This research maps the needs of young BME people living in Sunderland who are all members of the Young Asian Voices (YAV) youth project. The research was funded by the University of Sunderland, Centre for Applied Social Sciences. The research project aimed to identify the racial realities impacting upon young people in the City of Sunderland which remain hidden from public view. It also aimed to develop a relationship with YAV in order to build an empirical research base to ‘capture the perspectives of young people and youth workers’ (Nolas, 2014: 28). In a recent critical review of the literature focused on youth work the perspectives of young people and youth workers was found to be an identifiable gap (Edinburgh Youth Work Consortium, 2015).
The researcher’s aimed to understand:
 What are the key issues impacting on young BME people’s lives in Sunderland?
 What are the key risks for BME young people in Sunderland?
 Who is particularly at risk?
 What youth services are currently being provided?
 What needs are unmet?
The research was carried out over a period of 12 months in 2016 and 2017 in Sunderland with the support of YAV.
This research report is structured into 8 sections. The first section places our report in the context of current debates on the subject. Section Two explains our methodology. Section Three gives an insight into those who took part in the research. Section Four discusses youth provision and delivery and the challenges of youth work. Section Five explores partnership working. Section Six discusses the findings around racism and Islamophobia. Section Seven discusses gendered cultural awareness and some safeguarding concerns. Section Eight concludes the report.