Agenda item

The first Youth Parliament had finished its term in February 2017, with the second Parliament in place. The Annual Report would be published in May 2017 and would reflect the excellent progress made over those 12 months.

Despite initial reservations from some parties about the likely success of the initiative, the Parliament had seen excellent engagement from all relevant groups. The Slough area had gone from being one of the least involved in the ‘Make Your Mark’ annual ballot of young people to the most improved area in the country. The Parliament had also hosted several Question Time events in partnership with Aik Saath, with panel members drawn from a diverse range of organisations (e.g. police, Heathrow airport, political parties). The last of these had seen The Curve filled by attendees and reflected the level of activity of the Parliament. Young people had also been involved with a community safety project, working on the perception of fear (particularly in public parks). They had also engaged with the issue of emotional and mental health work and tackling the taboos involved. 

The recent Slough Youth Awards had been hosted by the Youth Parliament and promoted activism amongst young people. The Parliament had also secured the support of the local Labour Party for an extension of the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds.

The work of the Parliament had relied on the young people’s work, but was also supported by schools, local businesses and Slough Borough Council (SBC) officers and councillors. This alliance left the next Parliament in an ideal position to shape and influence future policy, and changes to Slough including the local community.

The Panel raised the following points in discussion:

·  The 2017 elections had seen 2,000 more voters than the previous ballot. The new Parliament had a diverse membership and was building on the foundations it had inherited (e.g. the manifesto was finalised in March 2017). The Parliament did not exist in isolation; other bodies (e.g. Youth Inspectors) were a vital part of a sustainable and effective structure.

·  All schools in Slough with one exception were represented in the 2017 Parliament; the exception had been caused by a timing issue. Most schools had seen lively campaigns for elections, although occasionally members had been elected unopposed. In these cases, SBC was committed to improving engagement.

·  To be a member of the Parliament, the individual must be a resident of Slough. For Slough students in schools outside the area, arrangements had been made with Churchmead School and Burnham Park Academy. However, other schools did not have such agreements.

(At this point, Cllr Chohan entered the meeting).

·  Mental health issues were still hard to talk about; matters such as suicide rates in young men received less attention than was desirable. As a result, the matter was covered in the 2017 Manifesto. Members of the Parliament were engaged in Mental Health First Aid training, aimed at identifying issues at an early stage and acting as a first point of support.

·  The inter-generational work undertaken by the First Parliament was also being continued. This was taking part in debates discussing how the Parliament could help with improving local communities.

·  Schools have noted the improved confidence amongst participants in the Youth Parliament. The election process also generated a positive impression of the body and had seen significant engagement with the concept of civic duty. Knowledge of the workings of democracy had also been helped by event such as hustings being held during school assemblies.

·  Whilst SBC was not involved in recruiting Parliamentarians for political parties, the initiative had seen young people encouraged to see themselves as agents in shaping local societies. Primary schools were now being considered for similar work, with SBC keen to build on national campaigns such as ‘Eco Warriors’.

Resolved:  That the report be noted.