South Cambridgeshire District Council’s councillors heard feedback from a task group charged with improving youth engagement in local politics – an idea put forward by Conservative group leader Cllr Heather Williams.
The motion was approved by councillors in July 2022. It asked the Council to support “the greater involvement of young people in decision-making at the Council” – recognising that major growth in South Cambs will attract young families.
At its most recent Full Council meeting on Thursday, councillors heard from the Young People Task & Finish Group – set up to seek opportunities for greater youth engagement.
The Group’s consultation with 11-25-year-olds in South Cambs found that the age group is no more or less knowledgeable about local government structures than adults, and that 14-18-year-olds understood how Council activity affects them.
But there were also some areas identified for improvement, with most not engaging with councils because they don’t consider it necessary and their preferred methods of communication are often not available.
Cllr Heather Williams expressed her delight at the Council’s action on her ideas.
“I’m pleased to see that my motion supported across parties is becoming something that the Council can really implement.
“Many of the things we do aren’t just about this year or the next – they are planning for decades to come. It is really important that we put young people’s best interests at heart.
“I’ve often seen that councillors – including myself – make well-meaning decisions, but they just aren’t quite right for our young people in South Cambs. That’s not because we don’t have a desire to support them, but because the world we live in is constantly and rapidly changing. We need to keep up with what really matters and appeals to the generations of tomorrow.”
