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.