Petty Pool's NEET conference fills the Racecourse Pavilion on Thu 15 Oct, 9am to 4pm, with Chester Zoo's CEO and young people. The full programme is below.
A Cheshire charity is bringing employers, schools, councils and young people together at Chester Racecourse on Thursday 15 October to work out what can actually be done for the young people who have fallen out of education and work.
Where Possible Happens 2026: Leading the Region’s Response to the National NEET Crisis runs from 9am to 4pm at The Pavilion, Chester Racecourse, CH1 2LY. It is hosted by The Petty Pool Trust, the Sandiway charity that works with young people and adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and neurodivergence. Tickets are booked through Petty Pool’s event page, which says spaces are limited. The charity has not published a ticket price on the page.
Why now: 981,000 young people
The charity has timed the day against the latest national figures. According to its press release, Office for National Statistics figures published on 27 August 2026 estimate that 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training (NEET) between April and June 2026. That is 13.0% of the age group.
The release puts the figure in context: it is 30,000 lower than the previous quarter, but 30,000 higher than the same period in 2025. It also cites government research published this year finding that young people with SEND are around 80% more likely to be NEET than average.
What the charity’s chief executive says
Sally Garratt, chief executive of The Petty Pool Trust, said the numbers should not be the end of the conversation:
“Behind every statistic is a young person with their own strengths, ambitions and experiences. We know there is no single organisation or sector that can solve this challenge alone.
“Education has a role to play, employers have a role to play, public services and communities have a role to play, and young people themselves need to be part of shaping the solutions.
“This conference is about bringing those voices together and moving beyond talking about the scale of the problem. We want people to leave asking a very practical question: what can I, and my organisation, do next?”
She wants the contacts made on the day to last longer than the day itself:
“We want this to be a conference where people make connections that continue beyond the day itself.
“Whether an organisation can offer a workplace visit, work experience, mentoring, employment, expertise or simply open a door for a young person, there are practical ways to make a difference.
“Where Possible Happens is about recognising what becomes possible when we stop working in isolation and start creating those opportunities together.”
Who is speaking
The headline speaker is Oly Newton, founder of LightsOnXP. The charity describes him as a lived-experience speaker and mental health advocate who has shared his story with more than 100,000 people worldwide and worked with organisations including Microsoft, Burberry, GSK and Virgin Media. His session is titled “From Stuck, to standing, to earning”.
Also named in the release and on the conference programme:
- Dan Price, Labour and Co-operative mayoral candidate for Cheshire and Warrington
- Professor Sue O’Brien, Head of the Chester School of Education at the University of Chester
- Lisa Edge, founder and chief executive of GB Shared
- Stuart Manifould, chief executive of The Dome Youth Zone
- Jamie Christon, chief executive of Chester Zoo
- Josh Robhes, director of operations at WeMindTheGap
- Eve H, founder of Let’s Make A Difference, whose inclusion and accessibility platform the charity says reaches an online following of more than one million people
- Joanna Moonan of Youth Employment UK, Suzie Henderson of Storyhouse, and Keren Coney and Jack Fitzpatrick, who lead an afternoon session on neurodivergent young people
- From Petty Pool itself: Sally Garratt, Gareth Edwards, Principal of Petty Pool College, and Kathryn Porter, its Head of Alternative Education
The programme
Petty Pool’s published running order, which it says may change:
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8.30am | Registration, refreshments, networking and exhibition |
| 9.15am | Welcome: We Must Act Now, Gareth Edwards |
| 9.30am | The NEET Crisis: The Local and National Picture |
| 10am | Beyond the Statistics: young people’s experiences, with Eve H, young people and Kathryn Porter |
| 10.40am | Break |
| 11.05am | Prevention Starts Early: panel chaired by Professor Sue O’Brien, with Lisa Edge, Stuart Manifould and Josh Robhes |
| 11.45am | Inclusive Employment, What Good Looks Like: Sally Garratt, Jamie Christon, Joanna Moonan, Suzie Henderson |
| 12.25pm | Lunch, networking and showcase |
| 1.25pm | What works for neurodivergent young people: Keren Coney and Jack Fitzpatrick |
| 2pm | Practical breakout sessions |
| 2.45pm | Break |
| 3.15pm | Headline session: Oly Newton |
| 3.45 to 4pm | Where Do We Go From Here? |
The three breakouts are aimed at different people. One looks at early warning signs, transitions and re-engagement. One, “Creating Opportunities Without Creating Complexity”, is for employers who want to help but are not sure where to start, covering workplace visits, mentoring, work experience, supported internships and jobs. The third is on how outdoor activity, inclusive sport and experiential learning can build confidence and skills.
Lunch, the programme says, will be served by Petty Pool College hospitality learners, as an example of work experience in action, with dessert from the Ice Cream Farm. A quiet space will be open all day for anyone who needs time away from the main room.
Who it is for
The event page lists employers and business leaders, education and SEND staff, local authorities and commissioners, careers and skills professionals, training providers, health and social care, policymakers and voluntary groups. The charity says young people and people with lived experience will be “at the heart of the conversation”.
About Petty Pool
The charity, founded in 1981, runs specialist and alternative education, employment support, outdoor learning, autism support and community services for young people and adults with SEND and neurodivergence. It says it has grown from supporting six young people to working with hundreds across its services. Petty Pool College is on Pool Lane, Sandiway.
What it means for you
- If you run a business in Chester or Cheshire West and have wondered how to offer a work placement or a first job to a young person with additional needs, the 2pm employer breakout is built for that question.
- If you work in a school, college or youth service, the morning prevention panel covers attendance, transitions and unmet SEND needs.
- Booking: through the Petty Pool event page. Questions to Petty Pool on 01606 889097.
More Chester events this month are in our What’s On guide, and the city’s October half term listings follow on 26 October.
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