July saw a surge in meaningful youth engagement across Cardiff, with 34 young people involved in 9 opportunities, contributing a remarkable 198 volunteer hours to local and international initiatives.
📌 Here’s what they’ve been up to:
🤝 Strengthening International Youth Links
The CYC Executive hosted a delegation from Stuttgart and St Helens Youth Councils in Cardiff as part of a growing international partnership. This was the second meeting of its kind, bringing young people together to explore social cohesion, democracy, and sustainability.
Together, they began developing a video to mark 70 years of twinning between Cardiff and Stuttgart. The final film will be produced by StuggiTV, a youth-led media organisation based in Stuttgart. The group is still finalising the theme of the video, but the focus will reflect shared values across the three cities.
Following the visit, CYC Members Ffion and Arthur travelled to Stuttgart for a two-day residential to continue the collaboration, strengthen relationships, and take the next steps on the project.
In September two more CYC Members will be hosted by Stuttgart as part of the anniversary event and the premier of the video..
🧠Young Experts Help Evaluate Cardiff’s Child Friendly City Work
On Tuesday 22nd July, 9 young people joined the Child Friendly Cardiff (CFC) team as a youth committee of experts. Their mission: to examine Cardiff’s progress in maintaining its UNICEF Child Friendly City accreditation.
The group:
- Learned about Cardiff’s ongoing work to embed children’s rights across services
- Reflected on successes and challenges
- Provided clear, constructive feedback and recommendations for improvement
Their insights will help inform how Cardiff continues to embed the principles of a Child Friendly City across policy and practice.
🏛️ Leading and Scrutinising Local Decision-Making
Youth leadership remained strong in local government:
- The CYC Executive and CYC General Meeting met to continue shaping priorities for the year ahead
- Members contributed to scrutiny meetings, ensuring children and young people’s voices remain part of Cardiff’s democratic process
👏 Thank You to all the young people who gave their time, ideas, and leadership throughout July. Your efforts continue to shape a more inclusive, connected, and child-friendly Cardiff — and world.