Local schoolchildren to get a taste of how our local council works

It's all part of an Action4Youth personal and educational development scheme, The Inspiration Programme, and this exciting new session is the second in a series of partnership workshops with Buckinghamshire County Council.

On 29 January Chairman Brian Roberts, Vice-Chairman Dev Dhillon and Warren Whyte, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and local Member for Buckingham, will host an event that aims to enhance young people’s understanding of the key skills needed for council roles and the impact of decisions made by local government committees.

As well as a full insight into the many roles within the council, from Cabinet Members and Councillors to the Chief Executive, Directors and Officers, the young people will take part in a ‘mock’ formal council meeting, taking the positions of those roles and playing out a Council Committee meeting scenario held at The Gateway.

The meeting will focus on a current ‘hot topic’: The role we can all play in protecting the environment, and the young people will have the opportunity to express their views, explore the work of the council and hear issues or put forward proposals that they feel are important. The committee’s comments will be shared with the senior management team and cabinet, playing a crucial role in helping inform local plans.

The Chairman Brian Roberts said: “We’re looking forward to our second visit from The Buckingham School students taking part in The Inspiration Programme. It will be great to help them to get a real insight into the influence that the council has in making decisions at a local government level.

“We’ll be using the feedback from the meeting to inform current conversations that we’re having about the environment and hope that their passion and enthusiasm for this will tease out some great insight and ideas for future discussions.”

Jenifer Cameron, Chief Executive of Action4Youth said: “Buckinghamshire County Council has created a truly unique and engaging opportunity for the young people involved in The Inspiration Programme, and we’re really excited to see the results.

“How many people can say that they have worn the Chairman’s chains and banged the gavel for order in a council meeting? The programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get inside the different organisations and services that contribute to society, giving them a much better understanding of the world around them and a better focus on their own futures.

For more information about The Inspiration Programme and other programmes run by Action4Youth go to www.action4youth.org, call 0300 003 2334 or email [email protected]. Keep up to date with all of the latest @Action4Youth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.