As part of a drive to encourage more young people to play a part in the democratic process, the Town Council has set up and supports the Yeovil Youth Council, which has been allocated an annual budget of £1,000 to help it achieve its aims and objectives.
These objectives are:
- Representation of all young people in Yeovil on any issue of concern to them
- Liaison with existing and new youth organisations in the town
- Improvement of the image and status of young people in Yeovil
- Involvement in the organisation of special events for young people in Yeovil
- Seeking to further understanding between groups of young people in the town
All the Community Schools in Yeovil and Yeovil College are represented on the Youth Council, which meets in the Town House on a monthly basis. Representatives are aged between 12 and 19 and are elected by their fellow students to serve on their behalf. The constitution of the Youth Council may be viewed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
Amongst the issues discussed by the Youth Council is the provision of skate parks in the Town. Members of the Youth Council have been directly involved in the design of these exciting new facilities which have been provided to meet local demand.
The Youth Council has also played a major part in encouraging local young people to take part in a survey of their shopping and leisure preferences in Yeovil. The results of this exercise have been considered by the Town Centre Partnership as part of its aim to introduce new initiatives and improvements into the centre of the Town, and have been fed into the Yeovil Vision.
Another exciting project undertaken by the Youth Council has been the production of a Young Person’s Survival Guide – listing a wide range of useful contacts on issues affecting young people. Copies of this guide have been circulated to Yeovil College and all the Community Schools in the Town.
More recently, the Youth Council has organised a collection of toys, which they distributed amongst children living at the Yeovil Women's Refuge and those staying in the Children's Ward at Yeovil District Hospital. They were also consulted on the design of an exciting new destination play space in Yeovil Recreation Ground, which opened in July 2009. As well as feeding in their design ideas, they rolled up their sleeves and helped carry out some of the preparatory painting work!
Pictured (right) are members of the Youth Council analysing the results of their shopping and leisure preferences survey, and on a visit to the Houses of Parliament - hosted by David Laws MP. Also featured are photos of youth councillors taking part in a fun-packed team-building exercise in North Devon.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Youth Council should contact the Town Council on Yeovil (01935) 382424 or send an email to [email protected]
FAQs about the Youth Council may be accessed by clicking on the following weblink.
Yeovil Youth Council - FAQs
Yeovil Youth Council Constitution