February was another busy month for youth participation in Cardiff.
Across the month, 38 young people took part in 4 opportunities to influence decision-making, contributing a total of 117 volunteer hours to help shape issues that matter to children and young people across the city.
As Cardiff Youth Council, we came together for both our Executive Meeting and General Meeting, where we discussed some big topics affecting young people in Cardiff right now.
At our General Meeting, we looked back at progress from previous work, including letters we had sent to the Cabinet Member and Director of Education about transport and democracy education. This was a chance to reflect on how our views are being shared with decision-makers and how we can keep pushing for change.
We also discussed the upcoming recruitment of Cardiff’s new Head of School Improvement. This was an important opportunity because young people were not just being informed about the process, we were directly involved in it.
As part of that, several Cardiff Youth Council members took part in interview training, helping us build the skills and confidence needed to be involved in formal recruitment. That training was then put into practice when five CYC members formed a Children and Young People’s Interview Panel to interview candidates for the role. This meant young people had a real voice in the appointment of a key senior education leader.
During February, we also explored Cardiff’s Vision for Play, sharing our ideas on how the city can create more inclusive, welcoming and accessible opportunities for children and young people to play. This was an important discussion because play is a right, and we want to see Cardiff become a city where all children and young people can enjoy it.
Another highlight of the month was a lively debate on Digital ID. This gave us the chance to explore both the opportunities and the concerns around digital identification for young people, and to think critically about how new systems and technology could affect our lives.
Overall, February showed once again that young people in Cardiff are not standing on the sidelines. We are asking questions, sharing ideas, taking on responsibility and helping shape decisions about education, play and the future of our city.