Reimagining What’s Possible: Youth, Voice and Vision
At East Brighton Trust, we’re committed to turning Moulsecoomb Place into a lively, welcoming hub – a space that’s creative, inclusive, and genuinely meets the needs of the community. To help guide that vision, we’ve brought together a steering group of residents who know the area well and care deeply about its future.
One of them is John Lewry – youth worker, participation specialist, and proud Moulsecoomb native. John’s thoughtful, passionate voice is helping us ask important questions about opportunity, belonging, and how to make sure local people have a real say in what Moulsecoomb Place becomes.
Opportunity changes everything
Reflecting on his childhood growing up in Moulsecoomb, John doesn’t dwell on hardship – but he’s clear about the inequalities he witnessed growing up. “As a kid, I experienced poverty, but it’s all relative,” he says. “Compared to some of my peers in the city, I was disadvantaged, but compared to others on my street, I was privileged.”
It was clear to him early on that success was often down to access, not ability. “The people who got ahead weren’t necessarily cleverer or nicer. They just had more chances,” he says. “That gave me a real awareness that those who succeed aren’t always more talented or hardworking. They just had more chances. So for me, opportunity is everything.”
Opportunity, he believes, is more nuanced than just money or resources. “I grew up where most people were in council housing. Then I went to Cardinal Newman School where a lot of my classmates were from Hove – and for them, home ownership was the norm. Their mindset was, ‘I’ll get a mortgage one day.’ Back then, I barely knew what a mortgage was. I wouldn’t have called that an ‘opportunity’ at the time, but looking back – it was.”
Trust through listening
With his upbeat, open, and approachable nature, you can see how John has the right qualities to establish rapport and build trust with young people. His career in youth work began at 17, when he got involved in running youth-led groups. Even then, the principle was clear: support young people to lead, and the rest will follow.
“Youth participation, at its heart, is about making sure young people’s voices are not just heard, but acted on,” he explains. “That means creating spaces where they feel safe to speak – and then making sure the right people are actually listening. But beyond that, I’ve always found young people fascinating. They’re not weighed down by the same cynicism that adults often are. They still believe the world can be changed. They see things as malleable, shiftable.”
Beyond tokenism
John is refreshingly honest about the realities of youth participation. “Tokenism gets a bad rap – and rightly so – but in some contexts, it’s a step up. If you’ve never had a voice before, being asked whether you want chips or pizza is better than being handed a plate.”
In his role as the Council’s Lead Youth Participation Worker, John’s seen first-hand how young people’s sense of agency can be shaped by simple, consistent actions. “We were doing some engagement around the National Youth Strategy. One of the questions we asked the young people was, ‘Do you feel your voice is valued and listened to?’ Most of them moved to the ‘agree’ side of the room. I said, ‘That’s encouraging – I wasn’t expecting that!’ Then I followed it up with, ‘Do you feel your voice carries power in creating change in your city?’ And they all shifted to the opposite side. What we realised is that their sense of empowerment didn’t come from systems – it came from individuals. Adults who took the time to listen, take them seriously, and treat them with respect.”
Participation, he adds, must go beyond consultation. It requires visible impact, ongoing support, and a willingness from adults to relinquish power – not just temporarily, but fully when it’s appropriate.
“When young people are genuinely involved in shaping outcomes, even if the outcomes are unexpected – it always results in something good. That’s why I keep pushing for it, even if others might be more cautious.”
Youth work as essential infrastructure
John is a passionate advocate for long-term investment in youth work as an integral part of community care. “Youth work is preventative by design,” he says. “It builds relationships, helps young people navigate risks before they escalate. But when it works well, it’s almost invisible. That’s the problem – when things don’t go wrong, no one sees the work that made that possible.”
He’s therefore critical of the way youth services are often funded on short-term cycles, as if they’re emergency measures rather than essential infrastructure. “We don’t review education funding every three years to see if we still need schools. We just accept it’s vital. Youth work should be seen in the same way.”
Stress, screentime and uncertain futures
Asked about the biggest challenges facing young people in Brighton & Hove, John points to a mix of local and national pressures. “Cost of living is huge. Whether you’re born here or come to study, Brighton’s housing market is brutal. Wages don’t match rent. Job opportunities are limited. And for young people without a financial safety net, that makes thriving here really hard.”
He’s also concerned about the impact of digital life. “Most of the young people I work with have grown up entirely in a world shaped by smartphones. We don’t yet understand what that’s doing to their brains, their relationships, their sense of self.” One young person told him: “If I had the choice, I’d ban smartphones until kids are 14.” But when he asked if she’d give hers up, she replied: “No way – I couldn’t live without it.”
John sees similar unknowns with AI. “It’s already affecting how young people communicate, learn, even form opinions. We don’t fully know what it means yet – but we can’t pretend it’s neutral.”
The power of human connection
Throughout his work, John’s belief in the power of human connection runs deep. “If you’ve never had anyone believe in you, one trusted adult can change everything,” he says. “They don’t have to fix your life. They just have to see you, be consistent, show up.”
That belief is rooted in values passed down from his family. He remembers his mum taking in a woman who was vulnerable, in and out of homelessness, and with acute mental health problems. “My mum just brought her home one day and she stayed on our sofa for three months. Then, for a few weeks, her boyfriend moved in too. Looking back, my professional head sees the safeguarding risks – but at the time, it was just what we did. That came from a place of deep compassion and belief that everyone deserves dignity, care, and support – no matter how complicated their circumstances. That was instilled in me early on, and it’s never left.”
Co-creating the future
As EBT shapes the future of Moulsecoomb Place, John’s insights are helping to ensure young people are not just part of the conversation – they’re co-creators of the future.
His message to any young person feeling left out of the system is clear – and hopeful: “Seek out opportunities. Within this messy, imperfect system, there are spaces and paths for everyone. Sometimes they’re hidden. Sometimes they’re blocked. But they’re there.”
For John, the role of professionals and community workers is to help young people find those paths – and walk alongside them until they feel empowered. “The system isn’t fixed. It’s fluid. And young people aren’t static either. If you’re feeling disillusioned now, it doesn’t mean you always will. I’ve seen so many young people go from feeling completely outside of everything to finding their space – and thriving.”