Ground breaking County Council initiative to involve Barrow's youth

Young people in Barrow are to become more involved in helping to improve and develop their local communities thanks to a groundbreaking County Council initiative to involve them in local government. 

Barrow Local Committee decided at its meeting today to take part in a project aimed at bringing councillors and young people together. It would involve local councillors and officers go into every secondary school in Barrow on a regular basis for a 45-minute lesson plan, which will be informative and fun, in a bid to get young people more involved in the work of the county council. 

Councillor Alan Nicholson, Chairman of the Local Committee, said:   

"We hope that this new initiative will encourage young people to become more involved in the decision making process and better understand local government. It will provide opportunities for them to become more involved in shaping local services, improving their lives and those of their communities. We hope it will result in young people feeling empowered and having a say in decisions affecting them. They will also be more likely to get more involved as they get older and continue to be involved in the democratic process." 

Research in other areas of the country has shown that young people have a lack of understanding of local government and how it is relevant to their lives. But recent research carried out with young people in Barrow showed that young people were enthusiastic about issues affecting them and their community. Traditional methods of consulting with local people, such as neighbourhood forums, are often unlikely to work with young people and it is hoped that this new initiative will really grab their attention. 

The aim is to include every pupil from year five through to 11 and all Barrow's six secondary schools will act as a pilot scheme. If the project is successful, it will lead to all the junior schools and sixth form college becoming involved.