Youth Conference Set to Grill Police and Council Chiefs

LOUGHBOROUGH’S police chief & council bosses will be grilled by more than 100 young people as part of the second Big Charnwood Youth Conference next month.

Youngsters from schools and youth groups throughout Charnwood will descend on Loughborough Town Hall on February 1 for the annual event which gives young people the chance to make their voices heard.

Each year the Youth Council, which is supported by Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council’s Youth Service, hosts a Youth Conference where young people from across the Borough decide their priorities for development and change for the coming year.

The Question Time-style panel will feature Inspector Johnny Monks, Loughborough’s policing commander, Council Cabinet members Jane Hunt and David Snartt, plus Jewel Miah, Leader of the Labour Group, and council officers who will be quizzed about tuition fees, youth unemployment & the summer disturbances.

For the first time ever, the Council will tweet live from the conference @CharnwoodBC #bigyouth.

The event is being planned by Charnwood Youth Council and will include keynote speeches from Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan and Charnwood’s Mayor Cllr Bernard Burr.

Louis Bartlett, Leader of the Charnwood Youth Council, said: “Holding the conference gives us a great chance to be able to hear the voice of young people in Charnwood, and lets us bring to light important issues and views which otherwise would not be discovered.”

And Councillor David Snartt, Charnwood Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “The Youth Conference is becoming a very important part of the Borough Council’s calendar because we get to talk directly to the young people who use our services so we can better tailor our provision to meet their needs.

“It is also an amazing chance to break down communication barriers while having a bit of fun!”

UK Youth Parliament member Karishma Shah will chair the Question Time discussion.

Young people will also be put through their paces in workshops about hate crime and the environment provided by the Youth Service and Charnwood Borough Council officers. 

Cllr Burr said: “In these trying times, I’m really looking forward to the Big Charnwood Youth Conference to speak to the young people who will take Charnwood forward in future.

“I really value events like this as the voice of youth is often ignored by decision makers. However, we’re fortunate in Charnwood to have such an active youth council which is already making a difference for young people in the borough.”

Charnwood Youth Council has 15 members who campaign on issues that are important to them. They meet every week in venues around the Borough.

Last year’s event attracted more than 100 13 to 19-year-olds representing nearly every secondary school in Charnwood, as well as many local youth clubs.

Ivan Ould, Leicestershire County Council's cabinet member for the children and young people's service, said: "It's important we listen to young people and groups such as Charnwood Youth Council enable them to shape decisions and make their voices heard. The conference is a fun, interactive event where important issues can be debated."

For more information about how to get involved in the Youth Council, contact Andrew Lake on 07535 630786.