Central Bedfordshire Youth Parliament announces its focus for the next two years
Thursday, 10 October 2024
Members of the Central Bedfordshire Youth Parliament have announced the issues they will be focusing on over the next 2 years.
On Saturday 28 September, supported by our Youth Support Service, the Youth Parliament held a launch event where it announced its 3 key areas of focus. These are: crime and safety, health and wellbeing, and culture, media and sport.
The 3 priorities were chosen after a survey of over 5,000 local young people identified them as important issues. Over the next 2 years, the Youth Parliament will work with us and their schools, as well as other agencies, to address the priorities and bring about social change.
The Youth Parliament is an elected group of young people, from 11 to 18 years old, who discuss issues that matter to them. It provides a space for young people to represent their peers and engage with local leaders, as well as empower other young people to take an active role in shaping their communities and making their voices heard.
A number of Central Bedfordshire councillors, as well as the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Ruth Lloyd and High Sheriff of Bedfordshire Bav Shah, attended the launch event to hear about the Youth Parliament’s plans and show their support. Also in attendance were Blake Stephenson, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, Alex Mayer, MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard and Alistair Strathern, current MP for Hitchin and former MP for Mid Bedfordshire.
Attendees discussed the priorities with the Youth Parliament, who were able to share their views for making meaningful change for young people in Central Bedfordshire.
Councillor Steve Owen, our Executive Member for Children’s Services, said:
It’s crucial that young people are supported in their efforts to create positive change. The Youth Parliament is essential in ensuring that the voices of young people are heard, and that they can drive change on the issues that impact them. As a council we are committed to listening to their ideas and supporting them to make a difference in their communities. I look forward to seeing what they achieve over the next two years.