BUDDING politicians have been selected to represent the views of young people across Warwickshire.
Young people and their families from across the county gathered at Warwickshire County Council HQ to meet the new Warwickshire Youth Council. Twenty-five new members were announced at the event.
During their 12 months in office, the youngsters will represent the views and interests of young people in their constituency by meeting councillors, MPs and other decision makers to take forward issues of local importance.
Part of this includes a consultation called ‘Have your Say’ which this year recognised young constituents’ top priorities as reducing plastic waste, support for mental health, and developing better careers advice and work experience opportunities.
Outgoing youth councillor Daisy Tipping said: “I decided to get involved in the Warwickshire Youth Council as I felt that young people are often ignored, and I wanted to do more to raise awareness of issues around mental health and safety on the streets for both girls and boys.”
Fellow youth councillor Isaac Searle added he wanted to represent the views of young people on climate change.
He said: “Climate change is absolutely the biggest threat to us, and young people are leading the way in doing something about it. I recently spoke at a full council meeting and a motion was passed to make climate change a priority for the council.”
County council leader Izzi Seccombe introduced the outgoing members who each talked about their achievements and what they had learned from the experience.
She concluded: “It is vital that the views of young people are heard, and this forum enables them to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning. I always look forward to welcoming the new councillors and supporting them to meet the needs of local young people. It’s incredibly rewarding to see so many people take part and I thank all of those who took part this year. It is always refreshing to see so many young people get involved in politics.”
Visit www.warwickshirevoice4youth.org.uk for more information.
