Many young people have been supported with free period products during lockdown by our project #PeriodPovertySirGâr and Carmarthenshire Youth Support Services.

We have arranged deliveries and mailed nearly 6,000 period items to young people who have been struggling to access them due to the closure of schools, colleges and youth clubs in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Now restrictions are easing, we are looking for businesses across Carmarthenshire such as cafes and shops who will stock them during the summer break.

Last year we were allocated £13,437 of a Welsh Government grant and we decided to buy a range of eco-friendly and reusable products to hand out.

Carmarthenshire’s Period Poverty Champion, council Deputy Leader Cllr Mair Stephens said: “A lot of young women rely on these free products and we’ve been making sure that they haven’t gone without throughout lockdown either by posting them out or by doing home deliveries.

The aim of the scheme is to make sure girls do not miss out on their education because they do not have adequate protection during their period and to change people’s attitudes towards menstruation so that it is no longer a ‘taboo’ subject.

Youth Council member, Amber Treharne, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has supported our work, it’s been a big help for us to ensure young girls can get free sanitary products at such difficult times. Together, we can now move one step forward to ensuring period dignity is something that every young girl can have in Carmarthenshire.”

If you are struggling to access free period products or are a business who is happy to stock them then please contact participation@carmarthenshire.gov.uk Alternatively, click here to see where else you can collect FREE products from.

Two of our members have been finding out more about what Carmarthenshire County Council is doing to protect the environment.

Cai Phillips and Arwen Skinner invited Cllr Hazel Evans, executive board member responsible for environment, to a digital meeting. The Youth Council is focusing on its campaign ‘To protect our environment’ during part of Plastic Free July. The meeting was a chance for the young people to find out what the county council is doing by speaking directly with the executive board member responsible for environment.

Amongst the topics discussed was the use of plastic waste, climate change and biodiversity. Arwen said: “We called for the meeting to address young people’s concerns about the environment and plastic free July. Our questions got answered and we are looking forward to a meeting in September.”

Cai added: “We wanted to meet with Cllr Evans as we thought that it was important that the Council is aware of young people’s views. The meeting went really well, we had a constructive discussion on many different topics. We are extremely happy that Cllr Evans invited us to another meeting in September to continue the engagement on this important issue.”

Cllr Hazel Evans said: “I would like to thank Cai and Arwen for inviting me to speak with them and asking me some challenging questions. It was a great opportunity to hear their views too and I look forward to meeting with them again in September to follow this conversation up.”

Interested in what Carmarthenshire County Council are doing to protect our environment then read our interview with Cllr. Hazel Evans here.

Amber 16 from Burry Port, Carmarthenshire’s elected United Kingdom Youth Parliament Member for 2019/20 represented Carmarthenshire and Wales at the Annual House Of Commons Debate in London. Amber joined members of the UKYP in the House of Commons on Friday 8th November to debate and decide on the most important issue to campaign on for 2020, taken from the Make Your Mark 2019 Ballot, where over 4,100 young pepe from across the county used their vote.

The 2 Campaigns for 2019/2020 voted on by the UKYP Members at the House of Commons Debate in November were:
• Put an end to knife crime – Devolved issue
• Protect the Environment – UK Issue

Amber said “It has been such a privilege to be a UKYP member for 2019-20 and it has been an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. I have gained so many valuable skills such as public speaking, debating and team work that I’m sure will benefit me greatly as I progress throughout life. Being a UKYP member has allowed me to meet so many amazing young people from all cross the UK and I have built friendships that hopefully will last a long time. Attending the House of Commons was truly unforgettable, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in London for the UKYP annual debate!”

Amber was amongst 24 members representing Wales at the event. Taking part in the debate gave Amber the opportunity to meet up with and work with other members of the UKYP aged 11-18 years old from across the country to make a difference for young people. Over the coming months Amber, with members of the Council will be working hard on the two main issues.

We are very excited to be invited to celebrate 30 years of the UNCRC on 20th November in Cardiff. This will be an opportunity for us to learn from a showcase of Children’s Rights work in Wales. We have also been preparing our stand, ready to share with others the work Carmarthenshire Youth Council have been involved in over the past year to demonstrate how we promote the right to be heard and our views acknowledged in Carmarthenshire.

There will be round table discussions and we will have a chance to meet and speak to practitioners and policy makers including First Minister Mark Drakeford, Julie Morgan AM, Deputy Minister for Health & Social Services and Sally Holland, Children’s Commissioner for Wales. We will also have a chance to participate in interactive workshops to learn more about the work of UNICEF’s Rights respecting schools. In addition, we’ll learn more about the National Participation Standards and meet the recently recruited National Team of Kitemark Inspectors! We’ll have a say on the issues and problems that matter to us globally and personally as every child and young person has a right to be heard – which is one of the most important articles which we stand by.

Tom and Patrycja are set to become National Young Inspectors. Young Wales have recruited and will be training a National Team of Kitemark Inspectors. The National Children and Young People’s Participation Standards identify Seven Standards that all adults should be aware of when working with and engaging with children and young people in Wales;

1. INFORMATION
2. IT’S YOUR CHOICE
3. NO DISCRIMINATION
4. RESPECT
5. YOU GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT
6. FEEDBACK
7. WORKING BETTER FOR YOU

These Standards help measure and promote the participation of children and young people in making decisions, planning and reviewing any action that will affect them.

Tom and Patrycja joined young people from across Wales in Wrexham in October and will attend training sessions on becoming a National Young Inspector throughout the year and they will have the opportunity to inspect organisations and services against the Standards. The Standards help organisations to measure and improve the quality of the process of children and young people’s participation.

Tom said that “being a National Young Kitemark Inspector is a great honour. I am one of the first 20 Inspectors in Wales and I hope to better many organisations in terms of the participation of children and young people. I can’t wait to get started”