The South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) Youth Council will be having its formal launch on Wednesday 23rd January 2013. In a previous article, I wrote that SCDC was asking for nominations from young people to join the Youth Council, giving young people in the district a chance to have a voice and to influence the development of their neighbourhoods. The Council received nominations from young people from across the district, and thought 20 places were available, only 15 of them have been filled.
The Youth Council is a great opportunity for the Youth councillors to develop leadership skills, gain confidence, get involved in decision-making and help organise youth and community events. The roles that a youth councillor will have are varied.
Youth Council Activities
Some of the issues the Youth Council will be working on are:
- The new Secondary School for Northstowe
- The new Primary School for Northstowe
- Cambridge University’s Youth and Play Strategy
- Facilities for young people, sports and arts in new housing developments
- Sustainability and the Environment
- Health and Wellbeing
- Families Together and Child Poverty Action Plan
The Youth Council will also be happy to help out parish councils if they are planning new facilities, activities or events for young people in their local areas.
Youth Councillors and Roles
Following are the youth Councillors and their new roles:
- Jessica Adis – yCllr specialist for Youth Affairs – Transport & Facilities – Duxford
- Samuel Bailey – yCllr specialist for Education – Oakington
- Bella Forster-Lewis – yCllr specialist for Education – Thriplow
- Dale Hargrove – yCllr specialist for Northstowe and Scrutiny – Longstanton
- Callum Hatch – yCllr specialist for Planning and Housing – Longstanton
- Helena Keys – yCllr specialist for the Environment and Sustainability – Fulbourn
- Conrad Leaton Gray – Vice Chair and yCllr for Public Relations – Great Shelford
- Charlotte Lomas – yCllr Director of Communications – Lt Wilbraham
- Isabella Marshall – yCllr specialist for Policy and Finance – Cottenham
- Thomas Mayer – yCllr – Chair of Youth Council – Swavesey
- Samantha Menezes – yCllr specialist for Facilities & Transport – Cambourne
- Lauren Murphy – yCllr specialist for Youth Affairs – Sport & Culture – Great Shelford
- Louis Pascuzzi – yCllr specialist for Health and Wellbeing – Stapleford
- Nathan Samuel – yCllr specialist for Scrutiny – Landbeach
- Gemma Steele – yCllr specialist for general Youth Affairs – Waterbeach
Launch Event
The formal launch of the Youth Council is on Wednesday 23rd January 2013 from 7 pm – 8.30 pm in the Swansley Room at South Cambridgeshire Hall, Cambourne. Along with a few words of welcome from Councillor Manning and Alex Colyer, the Youth Councillors will introduce themselves and say a few words about their areas of specialist interest.
If you are interested in meeting the new youth councillors, then do go aong on Wednesday evening to meet them in person.
If you would like to involve the Youth Council in your work, seek their views, or have their support and/or help for projects that you are working on then the Youth Council can be contacted on: Youthcouncil@scambs.gov.uk, or you can visit www.facebook.com/SCyouthcouncil and ‘like’ the page. You can also follow the Youth Council on Twitter @southcambsyc.