PAN hosts Presidential Visit

Ann Skippers, RTPI President and Sue Percy, Director of Professional Services, visited Newcastle for 2 days to learn about 6 years of success to empower young people. They were taken on a journey along the evolution of Planning Aid North (PAN)’s Planning and Young People programme, stopping to reflect on key milestones and arriving with positive outputs for core and externally funded projects. Kevin Lillie, PAN’s manager and Chris Anderson, Community Planner, then reviewed in more detail some recent initiatives.

On the Monday evening they participated in a Volunteer Event on Planning for Place which shared experience on how planners and the Service have already been helping to empower communities and support place shaping.

Tuesday morning was an early start at Westgate Hill Primary School where they learnt about community support for the City’s primary school rebuilding programme. At Carville Primary School in Wallsend, they took part in the launch of the Past, Present and Future project which will see the community considering how planning has affected the evolution of the town and how it must play a key role in shaping the future. The climax of the visit was Shiremoor Primary School where PAN launched their programme back in 2004. They joined in discussions with pupils and teachers on their experience and the opportunities in planning as a career.

Perhaps a quote from Ann Skippers sums up the visit: “Our young people are the planners of the future. I was really impressed by the enthusiasm of the students about planning. It can really act as a catalyst for the whole community to be involved in their local areas. Our work in schools is vitally important in raising aspirations and spreading the word about how valuable planning is in shaping our future.”

The 2-days were also very rewarding for PAN’s new Community Planner, Glenn McGill, who replaces Rachael O’Keefe, as he was able to get a real concentrated introduction to their valued work with young people.

Author:

Kay Lough

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

02-Sep-10

Categories:

Nations & Regions 

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