YOUTH
COUNCIL

The Youth Council gives young people the opportunity to have a voice, discuss relevant issues, engage with, challenge and support decision makers and contribute to improving the lives of young people in the area. All young people aged 11 to 20, who live, work or go to school or college in the area can attend the Youth Council.

Meetings generally take place on the last Thursday or every month (except August) in the Council Chambers at Civic Centre. Meetings start at 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

The Youth Council aims to:
• Communicate and promote the views of young people
• Raise the profile of young people in a positive way
• Encourage young people to be good citizens, so they act with understanding and communicate between themselves and their communities
• Highlight issues affecting young people
• Shape and influence priority setting, service planning and delivery and ensure the views of young people are taken into account

What’s in it for young people?

• Power and influence – raising the profile of issues that matter to young people and influence community opinion
• Getting their voices heard – ensures young people are more informed and involved in decision making and helps them to see they are being listened to and their issues are being acted on
• Understanding and development – young people gain new skills and develop valuable experiences
• Positive representation – young people can represent their peers to the media, countering negative stereotypes and promoting positive images
• New skills – confidence, campaigning, pubic speaking, running consultations and political education are just a few of the skills young people can learn
• Principles of local democracy – young people can learn about and be involved in local democracy and political processes

There are lots of other opportunities for young people to get involved and ‘have their say’ leading to increased knowledge, improved self confidence and enhanced skills. Working with young people and listening to their views also helps to ensure that information, services and support meet their needs. Opportunities include:

Young Inspectors
This gives young people an opportunity to challenge, scrutinise and influence the services they access. The process also enables agencies to reflect on and improve their provision to better meet the needs of young people. Young people are trained and support to ‘inspect’ local services and settings against agreed criteria, make recommendations and award a ‘star rating’.

Young Reporters
This gives young people opportunities to develop their literacy skills and have an independent voice about things that matter to them. Young Reporters develop articles which are published in the Scunthorpe Telegraph on a regular basis.

Youth Elections
This is a democratic process to elect a local Young Mayor and Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) who represent young people locally, regionally and nationally. All young people age 11 to 18 who live, work or go to school or college in the area can get involved, either by putting themselves forward and/or voting.

Takeover Challenge
This gives children and young people a chance to work with adults and be involved in decision making. Children and young people benefit from the opportunity to experience the working environment and make their voices heard while adults and organisations gain a fresh perspective on what they do.

Great Debate
Two debates take place on an annual basis (one for primary age children and another for secondary/college age young people). The events bring together children and young people from across the area to learn about topical issues and discuss things that matters to them.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to be part of the NLYC or any of the young voice activities please get in touch:

Participation Team
Telephone: 01724 298434
Email: young.voice@northlincs.gov.uk
Website: www.northlincs.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople
Facebook: North Lincolnshire Youth Council
Twitter: @NLCYC

NLC website
Street Sport Facebook
Leisure Centre energise programme
Active Together Facebook
Park run website

Emotional Wellbeing
We all have a mental health and can feel up, down, happy, anxious and upset. Finding ways of coping with life’s demands can help. The ‘Positive Steps’ towards emotional wellbeing guide, for young people by young people, identifies five steps which might help:

• Accept who you are
• Talk about it
• Do something you enjoy
• Sleep well, eat well
• Spend quality time with others

Body Image
We are all different and have different perceptions of what people should look like and be like. Body image is something that can affect young people and can affect their emotional and physical health.

The ‘Be Unique’ positive body image campaign, led by young people, focuses on promoting messages to encourage young people to have positive body image and aims to help change perceptions and behaviours.

Top ten tips have been identified to help people to ‘Be Unique’ which can lead to a positive body image and improved emotional wellbeing. The tips are:

• Don’t focus on what other people’s bodies are like
• Do focus on the things you like about your appearance
• Each day, say one thing you like about yourself
• Focus on accomplishments that have to do with who you are as a person, not what you look like
• Understand that things we see in the print or in the media have been altered to perfection, everything is not what it seems
• You don’t need validation from anyone else to feel good about yourself
• No one is perfect, so embrace that you have difference and love the things that make you unique
• Surround yourself with people who support you and make you feel good about yourself
• Do things that make you happy
• Love yourself that way you are right now, not what or who you could be

Internet Safety (Social Media)
Social Media is a part of young people’s lives. It’s a great way of communicating, getting information and keep in touch, but it is important for young people to be responsible users to make sure they get the best out of it and keep themselves safe.

The Social Media Charter, developed by young people for young people, schools and families, reminds young people of the positives of using social media charter, but also what can happen if it’s used in the wrong way.

It also make suggestions about how to ‘BE SMART’ on social media.

B – Behaviours
E – Educate

S – Safe
M – Manage
A – Actions
R – Report
T – Think