Elevated Voices at the Police Race Action Plan Conference: Young People at the Heart of the Conversation

Last Friday, Elevated Minds CIC had the honour of delivering a keynote speech at the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) Conference, hosted at IBM and led by the inspirational T/DAC Dr Alison Heydari, PRAP Programme Director.

We were invited to share key findings from our Elevated Voices programme — a nationwide initiative that saw us travel across the country, engaging directly with over 800 young people about their lived experiences and views on policing, safety, and racism. Through honest conversations and carefully facilitated sessions, young people shared what safety means to them, how they perceive the police, and what they need from those in power. Their voices weren’t filtered or sanitised — and that’s what made them so powerful.

Doreen Sinclair-McCollin and Raqeebah Nasir took to the stage to deliver the keynote, presenting our data, insights, and stories with compassion and conviction. They reminded everyone in the room — from senior officers to policymakers — that real transformation must start with listening. The uncomfortable truths young people shared with us aren’t just points of discussion — they are catalysts for urgent, systemic change.

Joining the stage for the Q+A session was Samuel, a brilliant young leader whose reflections added even more depth to the conversation. The panel also featured the exceptional Saba Ali — Safety and Met Liaison Manager at UK Black Pride, Interim Chair for the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition, and LGBTQIA+ Network Lead at the Royal Society of Arts. Together, they answered questions from the audience, drawing on their diverse experiences to discuss community-led solutions, trust-building, and the barriers marginalised groups continue to face.

Samuel spoke from the heart about what it feels like to grow up in communities where fear of the police is normalised. He emphasised that engagement without empathy is meaningless — a message that resonated deeply throughout the room.

The PRAP conference created space for difficult but necessary conversations, shining a spotlight on the need for radical transparency, inclusive practice, and active listening from policing bodies. We are incredibly grateful to Dr Alison Heydari for not only inviting Elevated Minds to speak but for her consistent leadership in driving the PRAP vision forward with integrity.

Through our Elevated Voices programme, we learned that while mistrust is high, hope is not lost. Young people are ready to engage, ready to collaborate, and ready to co-create safer communities — but only if they’re genuinely heard.

This conference was more than a presentation. It was a moment of validation for the hundreds of young people who have shared their experiences with us. It was proof that their perspectives matter — and that their stories are shifting national conversations.

As an organisation committed to dismantling barriers between the police and the Black community, we see moments like this as stepping stones toward a more compassionate, equitable future. But the work doesn’t end here.

We’re continuing to push for structural change — through workshops, youth-led programmes, training, and policy conversations. We believe that youth voices are not a side note — they are the foundation of progress.