Children, Young People and Skills Committee
Agenda Item 28
Subject: Youth Council - Make Your Mark Update
Date of meeting: 7th November 2022
Report of: Executive Director Families Children & Learning
Contact Officer: Name: Tracie James
Tel: 07813805875
Email: Tracie.james@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: All
To inform this Committee of the outcome of the national and local results of the 2022 Make Your Mark vote, progress made on the Youth Council’s existing and latest campaigns. In addition, this report will provide an update on the youth manifesto event held at Brighton Youth Centre and other youth voice opportunities Youth Councillors have supported.
2.1 That Committee notes the local outcomes of the 2022 Make Your Mark vote and subsequent local campaign.
2.2 That Committee notes the Youth Council’s progress on their campaigns and future plans.
2.3 That Committee requests this report is referred to the Health and Wellbeing Board and Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee for information
3.1 The Make Your Mark Campaign is the largest annual UK consultation with
young people aged 11- to 18-year-olds. It is organised by the British Youth Council and aims to give young people the opportunity to have a say on the issues that matter most to them.
3. 2 Young people across the city had the opportunity to vote in the Make
Your Mark Campaign in February 2022. The Brighton and Hove turnout was 7.84% of eligible young people, a total of 1820 votes. This is compared to 1.67% (total of 382 young people) of the local turnout last year.
3.3 The British Youth Council are not able to provide a breakdown of the number of votes from specific schools or areas within Brighton & Hove.
3.4 The top four issues voted for by young people in Brighton and Hove were:
1. Health and wellbeing
2. Education and learning
3. Jobs, money, homes, and opportunities
4. Environment
3.5 The top four issues voted for by young people nationally were:
1. Health and wellbeing
2. Jobs, money, homes, and opportunities
3. Education and learning
4. Environment
3.6 Youth Councillors planned how best to promote the voting, and agreed an
action plan on how to encourage young people to vote in their schools,
including:
o Inviting all schools to take part, sending out information on the campaign and democracy training guides to all PHSE leads via the school’s education team and publicising on the school’s bulletin
o Attending planning meetings in their school with teachers
o Promoting the campaign within their school, including at assemblies
o Making a short video to promote the campaign, which was distributed to all schools.
o Organising a QR code with a direct link to the voting page.
o Setting up a Brighton and Hove Youth Council Instagram page which was used to publicise the campaign.
3.7 The vote was completed online only as there was not the capacity
to organise and manage in person voting in all schools.
3.8 Nine secondary schools took part in the campaign this year. This included assemblies, promotion in form time and tutor groups. The voting link was sent out to these schools to all pupils via school emails.
3.9 The campaign was fully supported by the Council’s Communication Team
who circulated regular social media posts.
3.10 As Health and Wellbeing was voted the top priority issue by young people, the Youth Council decided this would be the campaign topic for 2022-23.
3.11 To enhance Youth Councillors skills in managing this campaign 10 Youth Councillors attended a project management training day and then after considerable debate, due to the view that accessibility to transport has a significant impact on young people’s health and wellbeing they decided that one of the focus areas will be a transport campaign in order to:
· To prevent isolation, as some young people cannot afford to travel
· To access sporting and social events across the city
· Safety for young people to go into Brighton in the evening
· To enable financially disadvantaged young people to get to school/college without the stress of having the embarrassment when they do not have the fare
· To improve relationships between young people and bus drivers
3.12 Youth Councillors have met with all three local Members of Parliament, Chair of Children, Young People and Skills Committee and the Chief Executive to discuss how to effectively progress this campaign. From these discussions Youth Councillors became aware of the proposed bus service improvement plan and draft enhanced partnership agreement, which gives an update on proposals for funding awarded by the Department for Transport.
3.13 In addition, Youth Councillors are hearing from and taking advice from the Youth Council in Manchester who have achieved reduced bus travel (free for some young people) for young people. This is informing the Youth Council’s current campaign.
3.14 The Youth Council plan to meet with the bus company to discuss the following:
· Local plans related to the national proposal improvement plan
· Reduced fares for young people
· Improved relationships between bus company and young people
· Better and simpler ticketing process for young people including a digital bus ID card
3.15 As part of the wider health and wellbeing agenda the Youth Council helped to organise a youth manifesto event, held at Brighton Youth Centre in March, attended by 66 young people. Several issues relating to health and well-being was discussed. A further three discussion events are planned for the next academic year. The next one will focus on young person’s experience of PHSE. All feedback will feed into the Youth Council’s health and Wellbeing campaign and education disadvantage strategy action plan.
3.16 Two Youth Councillors have now joined the UK Youth Parliament. This will
enable the Youth Council to link national campaigns to our local campaigns.
They will be running three workshops in September update needed on health and wellbeing on behalf of the British Youth Council. They plan to meet in October to discuss results and decide how best to move forward to support health and well-being.
3.17 In addition, the Youth Council will be progressing the existing environment
Campaign and plan to issue environment awards to local businesses (green Leaf campaign).
3.18 To increase the turnout further for the 2023’s Make Your Mark, the Youth
Council will agree an action plan later in the year. The new Lead Participation Worker is now in post and one of his priorities’ will be working
with Youth Councillors on strengthening the Youth Council’s link with schools.
4.1 The Youth Council have worked hard to raise the profile of their 2021/22 Make Your Mark campaign. They are keen to build on the significant increase in this year’s voting turnout and start planning earlier and encourage schools to have a combination of in person voting and online voting.
4.2 The Youth Council members have set up separate campaign subgroups, to enable them to make progress and achieve actions, to be reported back to the main youth council meeting.
5.1 The Youth Council are linking with other Council initiatives,
who are working on environmental issues, including City Clean, City Environmental Management and the Sustainability team.
5.2 For this year’s transport campaign, the Youth Council will be
engaging with a wide range of young people through their school networks, other youth voice opportunities and youth providers, as well as consulting with relevant professionals, such as the bus company and other youth councils.
5.3 The Youth Council intend to strengthen links with schools to raise the profile
of the Youth Council and forward plan for the Make Your Mark campaign 2023, in partnership with schools. To include a mix of online and in person voting.
6.1 The Youth Council have worked hard to raise the profile of the 2022 Make Your Mark campaign which resulted in a significant increase in the local turnout, although the Youth Council are very keen to increase this further next year.
6.2 The Youth Council will be progressing the current Environment
campaign and work with young people, providers, on their transport and wider Health and Well-being campaign
7.1 There are no financial implications as a direct result of the recommendations
Of this report
Name of finance officer consulted: David Ellis Date consulted 11/10/22
8.1 The information arising from this campaign may be used to inform the
planning and priorities for services in the city. There are no direct legal
implications arising from the report.
Name of lawyer consulted: Natasha Watson Date consulted 07/10/22
9. Equalities implications
9.1 The Youth Council works hard to create an environment where all young
people with protected characteristics (including BAME young people, young
people with a disability, young people who identify as LGBTQ) feel that the
Youth Council is inclusive, accessible and they feel safe and supported.
9.2 When organizing youth voice activities, the Youth Council aims to reach
young people from a range of protected characteristics.
10.1 The Youth Council Environmental campaign is ongoing.
10.2 Youth Council members are encouraged to use public transport, cycle or walk to meetings.
10.3 There is a hybrid mix of Youth Council meetings to reduce travel.
10.4 Any equipment used within meetings is checked for sustainability and reuse.
N/A