Doncaster Youth Council

Doncaster Youth Council is a diverse group of local young people aged 11-19, who want to ensure the voices of young people in Doncaster are heard. We work to ensure young people have a say in the decisions that are made within Doncaster.

What we do

  • We provide a forum for young people to have a voice on the things that matter
  • We represent and communicate the views of young people to the decision makers and the wider community
  • We raise the profile of young people in a positive way
  • We encourage young people to be good citizens so they act with understanding and communicate between themselves and their communities
  • We highlight the issues affecting young people

To become a Youth Councillor here's what you need to know:

What the role involves

  • Representing the views of young people living in Doncaster
  • Sharing ideas and campaigning for change on the issues that matter
  • Organising and attending meetings
  • Meeting with decision makers
  • Attend local, regional and national meetings
  • Members sit on the Youth Council for a 2 year term

Skills you might need

There aren't any specific skills or qualifications needed to become a Youth Councillor as training will be provided, but it may help if you are:
  • Confident
  • Enthusiastic
  • Organised

What's in it for you

This is a chance for you to make a difference by getting involved in a range of different opportunities.

On this journey you will meet new people and visit new places whilst working to improve the lives of young people in Doncaster.

Elections

Elections take place every two years, giving Youth Councillors the chance to serve a 2-year term of office. In order to apply, you will need to submit a manifesto directly to the youth council inbox or through your school during the next round of elections, which will be taking place in January 2021.

Although elections take place every two years, applications will still be considered if seats become available. For further information, please contact Youth.Council@doncaster.gov.uk


Make Your Mark 2019

As a Youth Council, we lead on an annual Youth Consultation called Make Your Mark. This is the largest existing youth consultation in Europe, where young people aged 11-18 across the UK are given the chance to vote on issues that matter to them. This campaign determines what Members of the UK Youth Parliament should debate and vote on in the House of Commons, and also identifies what issues we, as a Youth Council, need to campaign for.

Nationally, a total of over 825,000 young people voted in Make Your Mark 2019, and as a Youth Council we collected 13,108 of those votes from the young people of Doncaster, achieving the highest number of votes in Yorkshire and the Humber!

The top three priorities voted in by Young People in Doncaster were:

Campaigns

1. Protect the Environment

Protecting the environment was voted the biggest issue for young people in Doncaster in 2019, gaining a staggering 5,704 votes!

This was the Youth Council’s main priority, and they were determined to make a difference in any way possible!

The final project that came out of the priority was a 'Top 10 Tips' video about how we can all be more Eco-friendly. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LcBGUbGRo&t=2s 

Our younger generation have also made a similar video, showing 'Top 5 Tips' that children can be more Eco-friendly both at home and at school. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/WGeWrNT8IqQ  

If you would like to contribute to this campaign, please contact YouthCouncil@doncaster.gov.uk 

2. Knife Crime

For a second year running, Knife Crime gained the second most votes, making it one of the ongoing priorities for the Youth Council. However, findings revealed that Doncaster has seen a 23% decrease in Knife Crime from September 2018 - October 2019. As a result, we worked in partnership with South Yorkshire Police to destigmatise the perception and celebrate the reality that, statistically, knife crime is significantly less of an issue compared to neighbouring areas in South Yorkshire.

The Youth Council carried out consultations in schools across all areas of Doncaster, to ensure that Youth Voice is the driving force for this campaign, and have now produced a campaign film that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geF2g-XfvxU  

#LivesUpKnivesDown.

3. Mental Health

Our Young Advisors have been working hard to raise awareness and tackle the stigma and taboo of Mental Health. They have now released a primary aged book and a campaign film that you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxrY0ZnC0jk&t=96s .

 

Junior Make Your Mark 2019

We were the first local authority to run a Junior Make Your Mark campaign for primary aged children. Over 5000 local children took part in the voting, a great achievement for the first year!

Interestingly, the most voted for priority in 2019 was to ‘improve the environment’. You can find out more about this and the campaign itself by clicking here.

Please contact Amy.Enwright@doncaster.gov.uk for further information and enquiries.

Contact us

For further information and any enquiries regarding the Doncaster Youth Council, please contact Aidan Nicol on 01302 737678. Alternatively, you can email Youth.Council@doncaster.gov.uk

You can also follow us on social media!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Doncaster-Youth-Council

Twitter: @DonYouthCouncil

 

Last updated: 23 December 2020 17:50:10