Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence noted above.

Councillor Members of the Youth Cabinet are asked whether they have any interest in any item on the agenda and if so, to formally declare that interest.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

The Minutes of the last meeting held on 28 November 2023 are attached.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 28 November 2023 were agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

Heather Walton, Youth Service Manager provided the results from Bury’s Youth Parliament Elections:

Rubeen – 974

Samir – 746

Alex – 372

Noah – 299

Kael – 439

It was declared that Rubeen is Bury’s elected member for Youth Parliament, with Samir and Kael acting as her deputies.

Adele Crowshaw, Youth Participation Worker provided the results from the make your mark campaign, which ran alongside the Youth Parliament Elections. The below subjects were voted as the most important issues to young people:

1. Culture, media and sport
2. Crime and safety
3. Health and wellbeing
4. Jobs, economy and benefits
5. Education and learning
6. Transport, rights, equalities and democracy
7. Climate change and the environment
8. International relations

Bury Youth Cabinet will complete some work and campaigns to support these issues.

Heather Walton and Adele Crowshaw provided an update around the Youth Mayoral Election.

From the first Youth Cabinet meeting in the municipal year, Areeba will become Youth Mayor. A Deputy Youth Mayor will be appointed at the next meeting who will shadow Areeba and become the Youth Mayor in 2025. The role of the Youth Mayor is only open to the young people, who were not successful in the Youth Parliament elections and it is an ‘in-house election’ voted for by the Youth Cabinet members.

A Youth Member congratulated all who took part in the Youth Parliament elections.

Scout Stirling, Youth Participation Worker provided an update from the SEND Circles of Influence Event which took place earlier in the day. Scout will write a report from this event and share this at the next Youth Cabinet meeting which will help to decided the theme for next year.

Youth Members discussed the summer Circle of Influence Event, which will take place in July. It was agreed that once Youth Members have decided on themes then questionnaires will be sent to schools. There will be around 5-6 main themes incorporating the issues raised from the ‘make your mark campaign’.

The Chair agreed to change the published debate topic from the Rwanda Bill to ‘Should you be suspended if you are caught vaping in school’.

A debate took place with all Youth Cabinet Member. It was decided that you should be suspended from school if you are caught vaping.

It was agreed:

1. The next debate topic – should social media be banned for under 16’s.

The Chair advised the Youth Cabinet that the chosen topic to be taken as a Motion to the Council Meeting on 20^th March 2024 is around vaping. Heather Walton explained that questionnaires had been sent to schools after the Circles of Safety Event and vaping was highlighted as the main issue for young people. 

Heather Walton asked Youth Members if they would like to be a part of the young person’s panel for interviews. Youth Members were asked to take part in 2 separate recruitment events, one for Youth Workers vacancies and one for the Director of Social Care and Early Help.