Month: November 2025

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to represent Cardiff Youth Council on a four- day exchange programme in our twin city Germany, Stuttgart. As Chair and Vice Chair of Cardiff Youth Council, we met members of the Stuttgart Youth Council, engaged in workshops sharing our views on local-decision making in our respective cities and immersed ourselves in German culture. Our stay consisted of a variety of workshops, exploring the city and strengthening our ties with the city youth council. 

We also met youth council representatives from Lodz in Poland, Khmelnytskyi in Ukraine and St Helens. We worked through workshops concerning participation of young people in urban planning, collaboration between young people in twin cities and future youth-led projects. An example of a youth-led project Stuttgart has implemented are smart benches in green spaces which are a suitable place to relax and charge your phone all of which is solar-powered.

On the penultimate night of our stay we celebrated an amazing 30 years of the Stuttgart Youth Council in which we learnt of the youth council’s early beginnings and the way it has changed to how it operates today, hearing from previous members and a speech from the first mayor of Stuttgart, Dr. Fabian Mayer.

Overall, this exchange trip was hugely enriching, widening our insight into city planning and the power young people have to shape local politics and decision-making. The experience allowed me to meet like-minded young people and appreciate city council workers who dedicate their lives to empowering us on this journey.

Ashika Pennadam

Attending the UK Youth Parliament annual sitting in the House of Commons for my first time was an amazing experience: we learnt so much about ourselves, the UK politics scene and we met some incredible and inspiring people.

My journey started a few months ago in June, where I was elected to be the MYP (member of youth parliament) for Cardiff, and Ffion began her second year of representing Cardiff. From June until the House of Commons Sitting, we made an effort to talk to our constituents, school peers and our communities to get an insight into what the young people in our area wanted us to represent.

In our MYP Development Day just a few weeks ago, we met with all the Welsh MYPs to brainstorm some ideas for each motion. This helped us form the foundation of our speeches in the House of Commons. The day before our sitting, we travelled to London and did some sightseeing, ranging from Battersea Power Station to Tate Britain. That night, we headed to a food market with all the Welsh MYPS, and we discussed the upcoming day in anticipation.

Finally, the day came, and it was time to represent the young people of Cardiff. When we arrived at Westminster Hall, we spoke to many other young people including the Scottish and Northern Irish representatives, as we waited excitedly to enter the House of Commons.

We were both fortunate enough to ‘catch the speakers’ eye’ and get chosen to make a speech during the general debate – and we are both so proud to have represented the young people of Cardiff. My speech was about the need for more accessible work experience opportunities in Wales, and Ffion spoke about the importance of safe and nurturing environments, free from crime.

Other MYPS in the chamber agreed with the importance of putting our solutions in motion, and we are very hopeful that it is something that will be implemented in the future. Moving forward, we are both so excited to continue representing our communities until the end of our terms, and we hope that the impact we made in the House of Commons is just as big as the impact our communities made on us.

Maya Darzi

October 2025: Young People Lead on Play, Participation, and Politics

October was a dynamic month for youth engagement in Cardiff, with 49 young people taking part in 10 opportunities, contributing a total of 148 volunteer hours to shape their city, influence policy, and develop their voices as young leaders.

At the Cardiff Youth Council (CYC) General Meeting, members launched a new enquiry into Cardiff’s Vision for Play, exploring how the city can make play more inclusive, accessible, and central to children’s lives. Meanwhile, the CYC Task & Finish Group dedicated a Saturday to designing a young person’s survey for the upcoming Participation Review, ensuring that Cardiff’s future approach to participation reflects what matters most to young people themselves.

Cardiff’s Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs) met with Children in Wales (CiW) and the National Youth Agency (NYA) to prepare for their visit to the House of Commons in November—where MYPs from across the UK will come together to debate national issues in the iconic chamber.

Adding a creative twist to the month, the CYC Executive met during half term to develop and record their first podcast, giving young people a new platform to share their experiences, ideas, and opinions with a wider audience.

October once again showed the energy, creativity, and leadership of Cardiff’s young people—proving that when given the opportunity, they don’t just participate; they lead.