Boxing champion Tysie Gallagher helped inspire a generation of young people at Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road stadium as Bedfordshire hosted its first-ever Hope Hack — a powerful event giving teenagers the chance to confront and find solutions to the root causes of violence against women and girls.
The event marks 25 years of work inspired by the legacy of Damilola Taylor and the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, with organisers hoping the ideas born at the session will help shape real-world strategies ahead of the national 16 Days of Action campaign later this month.
Participants aged 13 to 17 took part in collaborative workshops exploring issues such as gender stereotypes, consent, online safety and the influence of social media. They then presented their proposals to a Dragons’ Den-style panel, with many of their ideas set to inform local prevention work in the months ahead.
Among the speakers was reigning British, Commonwealth and WBO international super-bantamweight boxing champion Gallagher, who gave an inspirational talk about breaking barriers and challenging harmful norms. Luton’s first professional female boxer joined fellow speakers Usman Ahmed from the Hope Collective and Project YANA founder Jenni Steele in encouraging young people to be active voices for change.
Performances from the town’s Next Generation Youth Theatre plus rapper and musician Lavz added to the creative energy of the day, which concluded with a behind-the-scenes tour of the football club.
Detective Chief Superintendent Zara Brown praised the initiative, saying: “The Hope Hack is a vital platform for young people to have their voices heard and their ideas valued. By bringing together youth and decision-makers, we’re not just talking about change, we’re enabling it. These conversations will help shape safer, stronger communities and demonstrate the incredible potential of young people to lead positive change.”
Bedfordshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Umme Ali, said hearing directly from young people was invaluable: “There was so much energy and creativity. It’s really important that we put young people’s voices at the heart of what we do and that we work together to implement their ideas.”
Gemma Hoddle, community engagement officer at Bedfordshire’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Partnership (VEPP), said Luton Town FC provided “the perfect space to match the energy and bravery” of the participants.
“The young community of Luton embraced the opportunity to co-create during this resolution-focused event,” she said. “Through VEPP, we’re committed to turning these conversations into meaningful action to make our communities safer.”
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