More than 75 young people took over the Council Chambers at Sandwell Council House on Saturday 12th July, to debate issues of importance to them. The ‘ One Voice – make Your Choice’ Youth Parliament event hosted by Sandwell Shadow Youth Cabinet provided youngsters in the borough with the opportunity to discuss and debate 6 issues of importance to them and vote for the top 3 priorities.

The 6 issues debated in the chambers were:

• Free Transport for young people
  
• Education – more choices and abolition of University fee’s
  
• Community Safety
  
• Positive Image with Positive Reward
  
• Bullying
  
• Something to do & Somewhere to go
  

After some fierce debate on the 6 issues which were in turn presented by members of Sandwell’s Shadow Youth Cabinet with vigour and passion. Young people voted for their top 3 priorities as follows:

• Bullying
  
• Transport
  
• Something to do & Somewhere to go
  

These 3 priorities will form the main campaigns for the Youth Cabinet during their term of office over the next 2 years. The Youth Cabinet have produced their own Manifesto and this event culminates the consultation and agreement of this by young people in the borough. The Youth Cabinet will now develop an action plan on how they will tackle these and other issues within the manifesto.

Also in attendance were Councillor Ian Jones, Cabinet Member for Children & Young People, Janine Brown, Director for Joint Commissioning and Partnerships, Maureen Winn-Oakley, Sandwell’s Children’s Commissioner and PC Gill and PCSO Massey from the Oldbury Neighbourhood Policing Team


Jessica Masaun, Chair of Sandwell Shadow Youth Cabinet said.

"Although we are not old enough to vote in the general or local elections, this does not mean we have to sit in silence. Young people not only deserve to, but have the right to have their voices heard. This is exactly what Members of Sandwell’s Youth Parliament have been doing today. After all young people are not just the future but we are also here today.

“Young people do care about politics, and we do care about the world around us but too often it feels as if adults don’t want to listen. Hopefully by having opportunities like this, more young people will get involved and things will change. The Youth Cabinet campaigns hard for young people’s voices to be heard and the glass ceiling, it seems, is finally breaking.”

The debates were chaired by David Wright, Prinicipal Officer. Sandwell Young People’s Service who commented,

“Often young people are not given credit for having an informed and well rounded view on the issues that affect them. The young people present here today, have demonstrated their ability to analyse some difficult issues and relay some important messages for not only their peers on the Youth Cabinet but for us as adults to take on board and do something about.”