New Youth Advisory Board Formed for Stevenage
A new Stevenage Borough Council Youth Advisory Board has been formed to support the interests of young people in Stevenage.
The main aims of the board are to represent the council and attend community events and to contribute to council decision making on issues affecting young people. Some of the recent events the board has been involved with include the Youth Summertime Community Day, Youth Mentoring Day and visits to Goodwood and Silverstone where the team met Lewis Hamilton.
The Youth Advisory Board will work with the council to provide insight into the issues that matter most to local young people, including education, health and wellbeing, community safety, leisure opportunities, the environment, equality and inclusion. The board members’ feedback will help the council and partners better understand the challenges and aspirations of young people, shape services, activities and opportunities offered across Stevenage. Members will spend up to two years on the board before moving on.
The 12-member board includes Youth Mayor Tyra Karira and Deputy Youth Mayor Annie Warren acting as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
Current members are aged between 13 and 18 but positions are open to anyone aged 13-19 (or up to 25 if the young person has additional needs) who live in the town or attend school, home schooling or college in Stevenage. The board holds three formal meetings a year, one per school term, and has informal meetings in between.
The board is part of the council’s wider Youth Team, which includes the Youth Mayor, Deputy Youth Mayor and Schools’ Parliament. The Youth Advisory Board will also be joined by a Youth Action Group which the council is currently recruiting for.
The aim of the Youth Team is to understand the experiences, views and priorities of local young people through direct engagement, participation and ensure young people can influence local decision-making and help shape council services, policies and priorities.
Cabinet member Councillor Coleen de Freitas, Co-Deputy Leader for Economy, Skills and Young People at Stevenage Borough Council said:
"It is a delight to welcome the new Youth Advisory Board which has already begun engagement with the youth of Stevenage across a range of vital areas of civic life. The new board aims to give a real, meaningful voice to the youth of our town and to make sure it is represented to the council to allow us to deliver good outcomes for young people. I urge the youth of Stevenage to get involved and make your voice heard to the board.”
Anyone aged 13 – 19 who lives in, or accesses education (including home-education) in Stevenage can be part of the Youth Advisory Board and/or any of the Youth Action Groups. To find out more or register your interest to be involved in the board or a Youth Action Group, contact: youth.mayor@stevenage.gov.uk