October 2024 – Cardiff Youth Council

Annual Conference for MYP’s 2024!

October 29, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Over the weekend I had the privilege of attending the UKYP annual conference in Warwick. Over 300 MYPs attended, collectively representing over 6,000,000 young people! This was a great opportunity to advocate for young people both in my constituency and across the UK, and of course to meet with other MYPs and discuss what’s important to us.

Day 1:
I took part in two committee meetings, scrutinising policy submissions from MYPs. Firstly I sat on the Health and Social Care committee, which discussed in detail the need to improve access mental health services, period dignity and addiction services, among other topics affecting young people. I then sat on the committee for Energy Security & Net Zero, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and Science, Innovation and Technology, addressing the issues of the climate crisis, data security and equitable access to technology.

Day 2:
On the second day of the conference all MYPs took part in a plenary, where we debated and voted on policy submissions as carried forward or amended by the committees. As Health and Social Care policies were being debated, I took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of period dignity.

Next stop: House of Commons!

– Aoife Williams MYP for Cardiff

Aoife speaking on Period Dignity at Annual Conference 2024

What Matters?! Cardiff Youth Council Issue Based Work

October 25, 2024October 25, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Cardiff Youth Council has recently discussed a series of topics within its membership to identify the top issues impacting young people in Cardiff. This discussion took place in Cardiff University Spark building as part of the monthly general meetings.

Previously the youth council has set priority subgroups and split up to work on these separate areas over the following year. Now the youth council moving forward will be more flexible in terms of what they work on and the scale and scope of projects they take on. They now hold a series of issues based workshops every month based on key topics relevant to young people in the City. These currently include misogyny and antisocial behaviour in school towards selected groups, a lack of education around life skills, poor mental health connected to use of devices and much more!

This new way of working will allow the youth council to prioritise their efforts and achieve more in an an academic year in terms of issues they would like to tackle. It now also means that the youth council is far more open for members to continuously bring forward new ideas to add to the work programme that year. If you have a topic you would like the Youth Council to consider you can do so here: https://forms.office.com/e/1k8SWpHGCa

How to Change the World! Supporting Children in Social Action

October 25, 2024November 4, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Child Friendly Cardiff have developed an under 11’s Social Action toolkit as part of our ongoing commitment to children’s rights and participation. The new guide titled “How to Change the World” is due to be launched at Techniquest on the 6th November 2024.

There are over 50,000 children in Cardiff, all of which have rights and entitlements through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In Wales, all adults whether it be in school, the council, the government have a responsibility make sure those rights are met. The thoughts, ideas, and voices of children matter. Child Friendly Cardiff have made this guide to support children to advocate for themselves and engage in social action in their communities and across the City.

With the use of the toolkit it will support young people to make their community, country, and the world a better place. It will guide them to share and develop their ideas, but also to identify the right people to speak to enabling them to make big changes locally and globally.

The Structure of Cardiff Council forms a key part of our toolkit

MYP Attending UK Youth Parliament Annual Conference 2024!

October 25, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Aoife Williams MYP for Cardiff will be attending the UK Youth Parliament Annual Conference at the University of Warwick on Saturday 26th October – Sunday 27th October.

For over twenty years Members of the Youth Parliament from across the UK have come together to debate and vote on policy, as well as take part in workshops, debates, and networking opportunities at the UK Youth Parliament Annual Conference. This year’s event is the first to be hosted by the National Youth Agency, as they work to create the new UK Youth Parliament manifesto. During the conference MYPs will engage in discussions, presentations and debates on the most pressing issues affecting young people today. These discussions will contribute to the creation of the new UK Youth Parliament manifesto.

The Annual Conference focus is to develop the UK Youth Parliament manifesto. The manifesto will be wide ranging and broke up into chapters that mirror UK Government departments to ensure every social issue raised in the manifesto can link to a ministerial portfolio. Following this MYP’s can use this manifesto to advocate for the changes they want to see in society over the coming year by speaking with government ministers for the relevant departments.

We look forward to hearing from Aoife when she returns and to what priorities will be set within the manifesto!

Cardiff Young Citizen’s Panel – Helping Cardiff Council make decisions that shape the city where you live…

October 25, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

The Cardiff Young Citizens Panel has been created to engage young people, aged 8–25, in city decision-making. Panel members can share their views on topics like transport, education, health, and climate through surveys, focus groups, and workshops. Cardiff Council has already collaborated with young people on projects such as school development and climate strategies.

This initiative addresses the need for youth involvement in local governance, aiming to empower young voices in shaping their city. It supports Cardiff’s goal of being a Child Friendly City, ensuring that young people’s opinions are considered in decisions impacting their futures.

By involving young people early on, Cardiff hopes to foster active citizenship and promote positive changes. The feedback gathered will influence policies and projects, contributing to ongoing city development initiatives like One Planet Cardiff. This participation strengthens local democracy and prepares future generations to engage with civic issues.

To join the Cardiff Young Citizen Panel click on this link – https://online1.snapsurveys.com/CYP24

Empowering Youth Voices: Tegan Griffiths Joins Cardiff Council’s Scrutiny Committee!

October 14, 2024October 25, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Having Tegan Griffiths, a member of Cardiff Youth Council (CYC), sit on the Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee of Cardiff Council ensures that youth perspectives are represented in decisions impacting vital services like housing, social care, and community well-being. This role allows young people to contribute to discussions and scrutiny of policies that affect not only adults but also families and the broader community. It implies a more inclusive, intergenerational approach to decision-making, where the needs and insights of Cardiff’s youth are considered in shaping the city’s services, fostering a more responsive and equitable local government.

Empower Your Voice: Join Cardiff Youth Council and Shape the Future! New BSL Translated Video

October 14, 2024October 25, 2024Cardiff Youth Council

Do you want make a real impact in your city? CYC offers a platform to influence decisions on key issues like mental health, education, and the environment, empowering members to make positive change. By joining, young people can develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, boost their confidence, and collaborate with like-minded peers. It’s a chance to advocate for equality, work on meaningful projects, and shape a better future for Cardiff while gaining valuable personal and professional experience.

CYC Monthly update – Sept 2024

October 1, 2024May 15, 2025Cardiff Youth Council

September 2024 was a standout month for youth participation in Cardiff, with 11 opportunities for children and young people to get involved and influence decision-making at a local level. Across these opportunities, 102 young people volunteered an incredible 329 hours of their time, contributing ideas, challenging systems, and helping shape services that affect their lives.

Young people participated in a broad range of meetings and activities, including:

A Cardiff Youth Council (CYC) General Meeting and a CYC Executive Meeting, where key discussions took place on youth priorities and ongoing campaigns;
Several sessions focused on the development of the Under 11 Social Action Toolkit, co-designed with younger children to support meaningful civic action;
A series of scrutiny meetings, where young people examined and challenged council decisions and policies;
A Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) meeting with the National Youth Agency, contributing to national discussions on youth voice;
And a focused session exploring how to make the council’s complaints procedure more accessible and child-friendly.

These sessions are part of Cardiff’s continued commitment to being a UNICEF Child Friendly City, ensuring that children and young people are not just heard, but actively shaping the services and policies that affect them.