How many times have you been told that young people are the future, that it is us the next generation who will determine this time to come and that we, the youth, are the pathway to what lies ahead?

The UK Youth Parliament wholeheartedly rejects this statement. Far too often are we illustrated as this evolutionary change in waiting who clearly cannot contribute until this so-called future. 

Our new manifesto, entitled Shaping our Future: Today not Tomorrow is a clear message to government. If we are your future, invest in us today and reap the benefits tomorrow.

This message was echoed across the House of Commons during the Youth Parliament’s Annual Sitting not long ago where MYPs from across the UK spoke on the five debates determined as the most important.

I spoke in that very chamber detailing the need for a comprehensive programme of political literacy describing how ‘democracy does not function on apathy’ and that it instead ‘thrives on awareness participation and empowerment’. 

During this time of increased conflict, political antagonism and great uncertainty a programme such as the Youth Parliament whose members provide premier representation for a bulk of young people should be a relief. 

An increasingly notable point on the work of Youth Parliament is lowering the voting age to 16 in the UK; a point that with some strikes controversy and others reason. 

Young people already get a say on who to elect to the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments as well as their local councils but don’t get a say on who to elect to Westminster.

When gauging the views of my constituents they said that ‘policies are being made that impact us – as young people, we should have a say in our futures and our lives’.

Alternatively, an opposing point of view stated the following, ‘18 should be the standard age of voting, based on maturity levels, susceptibility to influence and general lack of public knowledge’.

A report issued by the Electoral Reform Society states that ‘there is a real danger that 18 year olds who don’t vote now, will become 50 year olds who don’t vote in the future’. 

With mixed certainty on the matter, is greater clarity and understanding the key to an expanded franchise, or, will the UK reject to follow suit with its Welsh and Scottish counterparts?

Article by
Evie Somers

Hi, I’m Kai and I am the representative of Young Wales on the Carmarthenshire Youth Council. Over the past year Young Wales has done some amazing work and this Article is going to share it all with you.

Boards & Forums

Young Wales is made up of a number of boards and forums, each one with a particular focus on a subject, some of the boards and forums are:
★ National Youth Stakeholders
★ National LGBTQIA+ Board
★ Young Carers Board
★ The budget Improvement Plan Advisory Panel
★ Voting Democracy Board

National LGBTQIA+ Board

National Youth Stakeholders

In the past year the National Youth Stakeholders have been working hard in partnership with the Welsh Government on the Mental Health Strategy.

Young Carers Board

In the Young Carers Board we are currently working on improving support for Young Carers, working closely with the Welsh Government to try and find ways that Young Carers can be more supported and recognised within society.

The budget Improvement Plan advisory Panel

Voting Democracy board

This is a new group that has been set up to encourage young people to vote. We are currently working on a campaign to ensure that young people will be educated about voting and will vote when the opportunity is given to them.

The 30th anniversary book advisory panel

If you are interested in joining Young Wales, you can do so through their website Children in Wales | Putting children at the heart of our work or if you would like to learn more from a young person’s perspective feel free to contact us.

Article by
Kai

On the 28^th of June 2023, Carmarthenshire Youth Council hosted their Annual General Meeting 2023 in the Chambers at the County Hall. As the Chairperson of the Council, it was my pleasure to chair the meeting and to share with everyone the highlights and achievements that we’d accomplished over the past year. This year’s AGM was a special meeting for us as we celebrate our twentieth anniversary as CYC. Established in 2003, the council has made significant progress over the past two decades, and therefore it was so important to recognise this.

Reflecting on Our Progress

In achieving the first full year after the lockdown, I reflected on how we’d fostered a new sense of teamwork and collaboration which helped with amplifying the voices of the youth across the county. These skills which we had gained from residentials further enable us to rely on each other, support each other, and celebrate each other’s successes, strengthening the unity within our council. Working together with the participation team on a local and national level, I stated how it was an honour to see our projects started in the lockdown period come to life.

Furthermore, I expressed my privilege of working with such a talented and diverse group of individuals who have contributed their time, energy and expertise to our council and our community over the past year. 

Celebrating our Work

Our agenda for the evening was filled with exciting items that showcased our hard work and dedication. We presented a compilation of all our projects, with updates from our members, and an awards ceremony. This gave us the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the progress that we’d made in our various sub-groups such as our most recent project “Never Silence the Violence”, as well as with partner organisations such as Youth Parliaments.

Looking Towards the Future

As the Chairperson, I presented our plans for the future, which includes a Children’s Rights Ambassadors Training Session in collaboration with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales team. I also announced plans for our upcoming conference to celebrate our twentieth anniversary, centred around children’s rights. Additionally, I gave an insight into our very first local consultation that aims to understand and address the important issues faced by young people in our county. The future for the council looks just as exciting as the past, and I can’t wait to see what else it has in store for us.

Awards and Recognition

The AGM also served as a platform to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to our Youth Council. We presented awards for CPR training, Development of the Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Board Training Animation, as well as recognition to our former members. Our previous chairpersons and members have been a pivotal part of youth voice across the county, influencing key decisions made by adults and contributed so much to our Youth Council. We feel that all their time spent volunteering should be applauded, to remind them that what they achieved was highly valued, and that they should be proud for their commitment and dedication.

Concluding the evening

To conclude the AGM, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, Councillor Darren Price delivered his closing speech, highlighting the importance of youth engagement and the positive impact we have on the community. As we look towards the future, we remain driven and committed to making a difference in the lives of children and young people in Carmarthenshire.

Following this, we had a small buffet, which gave us the opportunity to get to know the cabinet members and representatives from the County Council better. We were praised about how our AGM was a tremendous success, and we hope to continue to pave the way for youth voice across the county, making a brighter and more inclusive future for all young people.

By Lucas Palenek

I found out about the interviewing for staff for the Participation Support Worker through the Carmarthenshire Youth Council and I decided I would like to be a part of it. I asked to become a part of the interviewing panel and was invited to Ammanford offices where the interviews were going to be done. I felt extremely excited to be given such an amazing opportunity as well as a bit nervous as I have never done something like this before.

 I came up with a few questions and then picked out which questions were the best suited for this interview and role. During the interview I made notes about each person I interviewed to make sure they are perfectly suited for this role.

The best part about being involved in this interview is the experience I have received from doing it. Interviewing is a very important factor in life; however, we are not taught about interviews and the process of them in schools. This should be something we are taught about in school as everyone should be able to get the opportunity to do this. I am now prepared to get interviewed in the future as I know what the interview process looks like and I also am now able to interview other people which could help me in the future.

For this interview, I prepared by familiarising myself with the job and the qualities that are needed for this job and I made notes about what I should look for when interviewing.

The advice I would give to young people interviewing others for a job is to be prepared and be confident. You will need to learn about the job that you are interviewing for as well as making some notes on what the most important things are that you are looking for during the interview. Being prepared is also important for a young person getting ready to be interviewed.

I found that it is much harder interviewing through Teams as it is not really the same experience as a usual interview. It is much harder to see what the person is really like and how confident they are speaking in front of people under pressure.

I was included in the whole interview process. After the interviews I looked over any notes that I had taken during the interviews and chose which person was best suited for this role.

I wanted to be a part of the interview process as I wanted to gain some experience on interviews as well as see what an interview looked like. I think being a part of the interview panel was very interesting as well as helpful for my future and I would recommend anyone that gets the opportunity to do this.

Article written by
Olivia