10/10/03 - Help! I'm a Councillor

Barrow sixth-formers are getting a chance to tell Cumbria county councillors what they think about local issues on Wednesday, October 15. An event is being held at Barrow Sixth Form College for Local Democracy Week under the title of ‘Help! I’m a councillor – get me out of here!”  Members of Barrow Local Committee of Cumbria County Council and officers will be spending the day from 10am in the college’s social area. This will make them easily available to the college’s 800 students. 

County Councillor Alan Nicholson, chair of the Barrow Local Committee, said:

“This is a pilot for the local committee’s major scheme for involving young people in decision making. It is appropriate to stage it in Local Democracy Week, as the theme of the week this year is ‘Listening to tomorrow’s voters – today’.

“It will be completely informal – and hopefully fun. We shall be hearing the young people’s views and ideas, whilst also giving them a chance to speak to us in a relaxed and informal way. 

“Their views are important. The decisions we take today shape their world tomorrow.” 

Local Democracy Week runs from Monday, October 13, until Sunday, October 19.  Due to falling interest in local politics and declining turnout for elections both nationally and locally, the Local Government Association is encouraging local councils to take part in the week by involving the young people of their areas in planning their services, taking part in the decision-making process and developing an interest in politics.

Barrow Local Committee, which has a policy of opening local government out to the public as much as possible, agreed in January a scheme for involving young people in decision-making and giving them a better understanding of local government. While undertaking a youth consultation exercise, officers had observed that the young people were very enthusiastic about many issues affecting not only themselves, but their community as a whole. 

The scheme will try to reach all young people in mainstream education from year five to year eleven, forming strong links with the schools, which could be used for consulting young people.

The sixth form college, together with the six secondary schools in the borough, will act as a pilot scheme, which if successful, will lead to the junior schools being included.

Schools in Cumbria are being asked to encourage pupils to visit the Cumbria County Council website at www.cumbria.gov.ukduring Local Democracy Week and follow a link from the home page that will lead to them to a short questionnaire about young people and local decision-making.