YOUNG people in Uttlesford have highlighted the importance of youth spaces in survey by the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit (VVU).
The findings come from the VVU's 2024/25 Listening Project, which gathers young people’s views across the county.
The report reveals how social spaces and youth activities help young people feel protected, with knife crime identified as their biggest safety concern.
Roger Hirst, Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) and chair of the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership, said: "Knife crime is a very serious issue and one we will continue to tackle to make our communities safer.
"However, unlike the rest of the UK, we are making great progress in reducing knife crime in Essex."
Since 2019 there has been a 24 per cent reduction in knife crime, with hospitals reporting a more than 50 per cent reduction in knife crime incidents.
The annual Listening Project, run by Essex Council for Voluntary Youth Services on behalf of the VVU, spoke to 2,466 people aged 10 to 25.
It found that 19.9 per cent listed knife crime as their top concern, followed by other issues (global affairs, people throwing fireworks, threats, discrimination, online abuse etc) (17.1 per cent), gangs (10.7 per cent), and harassment (9.3 per cent).
Young people said they felt most secure when they had access to social or "chill-out" spaces offering free or low-cost activities, especially with friends nearby.
In Uttlesford, VVU funding supported more than 80 young people with free weekly access to the youth café at Saffron Walden’s Jubilee Hub, run by Enterprise East.
Samantha McReynolds, founder of Enterprise East Group, said: "The project was well received, with young people becoming more confident and building trust with youth workers.
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"The young people explained they would prefer less structured educational workshops, which we took on board, offering informal conversations instead, linked directly to individual young people’s needs."
The sessions offered meals, activities, and a safe place to relax, with extra support for care leavers and other vulnerable groups.
The Listening Project also found that young people wanted practical solutions to help them feel safer, such as emergency help points in public areas.
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