Really enjoyed speaking at today's National Association of Local Councils event on empowering young voices. Having a professional relationship with over 100 different local authorities around the country gives me a unique perspective on some of the best practices when it comes to rights based participation in decision-making but also understanding and supporting the challenges that comes with this work. We cannot wait for what comes ‘next’ to tackle the urgent questions facing us all now. The generation in education and entering the workforce are not ‘adults-in-waiting’ but active, engaged citizens with the power to drive change in the present day and we need to facilitate participation that acknowledges young people as rights-holders and confirms that they are ‘citizens of today’. Passionate young leaders need opportunities to lead their communities or external forces with vested interest elsewhere will make decisions. Unless all members of our community have a seat at the table they will be on the menu. Currently only 1% of school governors are aged under 30, 3% of charity trustees are under 30 and 3.2% of councillors are under 30. We shouldn’t ask how we can bring in new young leaders without first asking ourselves what steps we can take to be an appealing and beneficial organization for them. Parish and town councils have an important role to play when it comes to understanding their communities and this includes ensuring that young people have a space, voice, audience and influence when decisions are made.
