Column 21.08.26 - Jack Abbott hosts his second Summer School

Over the past fortnight, I have had the pleasure of hosting my second Summer School for young people from Ipswich and Suffolk.

This was my own start in politics, when, 15 years ago, I was invited to join an MP's summer school. Frankly, it provided me with opportunities I didn’t know were possible.

It is an enormous privilege to be able to use my position to 'pass it on' and do the same for young people in our area. 

My summer school is designed to give young people practical skills, experiences and a better understanding of politics, public service and campaigning. The first week focused on learning and development, while the second challenged participants to put those skills into action through campaigns of their own.

During the first week, we heard from some inspirational speakers who generously shared their time, experience and expertise, from the Deputy General Secretary of the Co-Operative Party to a former Downing Street Press Secretary, as well as representatives from trade unions, public affairs, local journalism, local government, business and community organisations.

Taking our people down to Westminster to see the place they might want to work in future was a highlight. Starting with a tour of Parliament, we headed on for a surprise trip to Downing Street and a photo in front of the most famous door in the country!

Throughout the week, we had sessions on press releases, speechwriting, careers in politics and digital campaigning, and finished the week with the young people writing and delivering their own speeches. Thank you to the Ipswich Regent for providing such a special experience to round off a great week.

My favourite part of my summer school is when our young people get to put their experiences and learnings from the first week into practice and run their own campaigns.

The first campaign, 'Period Rights Ipswich’, focused on period poverty in Ipswich. Shockingly, over 10% of people with periods across the country struggled to afford sanitary products over the last year, being forced to prioritise food or energy instead. 

For many women living in Ipswich, already wrestling with the rising cost of living, sanitary products are another challenging expense.

The group quickly got to work spotlighting local businesses and community spaces already offering free period products, developing a handy interactive map, creating social media graphics, and interviewing local business owners.

The second group tackled an equally important issue here in Ipswich, reducing littered waste and rubbish in our town centre and encouraging people to use free council schemes aimed at tackling the problem.

Titling themselves ‘Litter-ally Ipswich,’ they joined Jason from Rubbish Walks for a litter pick in the town centre, with their collaboration reaching an audience of over 17,000 people – a massive achievement. They also interviewed local campaigner Mark Murphy, litter picked with the borough council, and surveyed residents and businesses about the issue. 

Both campaigns caught the attention of the local media, and representatives from both groups were interviewed on local radio.

In such a short space of time, the summer schoolers achieved a huge amount. On top of running great campaigns that have made a real difference locally, it has been a genuine pleasure to watch them grow in confidence and see their excitement as their ideas come to fruition.

The 18 young people who joined me this year were talented, endlessly energetic and dedicated, with such great values, a strong sense of public service and a desire to make a positive change. They have certainly inspired me.

Special thanks to everyone who has made this year's summer school possible, from the brilliant people gifting their experiences and insights, to the businesses and organisations who generously offered us their support. I also want to pay tribute to my team who work hard all year round and did so much to make this last fortnight such a success.

Having started my political journey on a summer school, I am so proud to do the same for the next generation of young people in Ipswich and Suffolk.