Youth Councils
You may have heard of groups in your area called Youth Councils. Here's a bit about what they do, and how you can get involved.
What's a Youth Council?
A Youth Council can vary in each area, depending on whether or not it has support workers, the constitution of the group, the number of members, the age range of members and how it works with the council and other organisations. Essentially, however, they are groups that put forward the views of young people in the local area, getting involved in campaigns to bring about change. Typical examples of things your Youth Council might have achieved could include getting a skate park in your area, getting reduced transport fares for students, having more sports provision on offer, or making schools implement strategies to tackle bullying. They can campaign on just about anything they want - and a lot of the time, with a well-run campaign, it's possible to achieve some pretty big changes.
How do I join?
Youth Councils recruit members in a variety of ways and it will vary according to your area. Some areas elect their Youth Councillors every year, while others allow members to join at any point just by filling in a form. Your best bet is to either check out the British Youth Council (BYC) member's list to see if you can find your Youth Council on there. Alternatively, Google it! Just put in the name of your town and 'Youth Council' (for example, Hastings Youth Council) and see what comes up. Then send your group an email or give them a call and ask for some details about how you can join.
Starting your own Youth Council
If you can't find a Youth Council in your area on the BYC members list or on Google, it's possible you may not actually have one. If so, why not start one up yourself? Your starting point should be with your local council - arrange a meeting with a councillor, preferably the Cabinet member for Children's Services (details can be found on the website of your local council). Talk to them about employing a dedicated member of staff to support the workings of a Youth Council, as well as telling them how it can help the council provide better services for young people in their area.
What do I have to do as a Youth Councillor?
As a Youth Councillor, you're expected to represent the views of other young people in your area. For that reason, it's really important that you're a good listener and able to take up issues on behalf of other young people - even if they might not be your own views. You should also have confidence in yourself to be able to voice your opinions and those of other young people, and be very passionate about making things better for other young people. Don't be put off if you're not a great public speaker - a lot of people who join a Youth Council aren't great at this to start with. It's something that everyone picks up with practice, and being in a Youth Council is a great way to improve your confidence when it comes to speaking to an audience.
It's also really important to remember that you're an ambassador for young people. While this doesn't mean you should be 'whiter than white', it does mean you should make sure that the way you act reflects well on behalf of young people. You're there to challenge the belief of some that young people are always up to no good, so you should always try and make sure that you don't get up to anything which might fuel those beliefs.
