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Represent young people's views to shape Council decisions

What is it? 

Greenwich Young People's Council (GYPC) is a group of elected young people which exists to represent the views of children and young people from across the borough and to influence decision-making within the council.

You can run for election to be a youth councillor for your school or youth hub. As a youth councillor, you'll help to:

  • raise awareness of how young people can get involved in politics, democracy and citizenship
  • help other young people understand how policies can affect them, and how they can shape these policies.

You'll also meet new people, learn new skills and take part in regional and national activities.

Watch the video below, made by Greenwich Young People's Councillors, to learn more about their personal experience.

Greenwich Young People's Council 2017 video from Participation People on Vimeo.

 

Speak with your school or youth hub to find out who your youth councillors are. Or email youth-voice@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Manifesto

Every two years, GYPC produces a manifesto, outlining its priorities for the council's two year term in office.

Manifesto 2019-2021

  • 1. Mental Health
    GYPC planned and developed a Mental Health Champions project. They recruited 17 young people from ten schools to be trained as Mental Health Champions, to increase their awareness and the awareness of their peers of mental health.

    Young people who participated told us:

    • They left the project knowing more about mental health and mental health conditions (100 per cent).
    • They left knowing at least two techniques for improving their own mental health and wellbeing (94 per cent).
    • They could identify at least four mental health conditions (88 per cent).

    GYPC also developed a Mental Health Young Researchers programme. They recruited eight young people to undertake a research project to look at what’s good, needs improving and missing from mental health support services for young people in Greenwich.

    Our young researchers achieved an amazing 1,892 responses from young people who live or study in the borough. They then conducted data analysis, identified key themes and came up with some tangible recommendations. Their research is being used to inform the further development of mental health support services in the borough, including the redesign of CAMHS.

    2. Street Safety
    GYPC worked with teams in Children’s Services and CACT to host an Anti-Knife Crime Summit for young people across Greenwich on Thursday 14 February 2019. Their aim was to provide an opportunity for young people to come together to explore the issue of knife crime further, learn more about it and think about how we can tackle it together. 65 young people from 14 schools attended the summit.

    At the end of the day:

    • 95 per cent of participants told us they had fun and would participate again.
    • 90 per cent told us they knew more about the laws around knife crime.
    • 85 per cent told us they knew more about the real facts about knife crime.
    • 66 per cent told us they felt they had the opportunity to contribute their ideas about how to prevent knife crime.

    GYPC designed and delivered a series of Police Youth Think Tanks (PYTTs) during the summer term. These were educational, fun and engaging workshops to bring young people and decision makers together to discuss key street safety topics. 80 young people and 16 professionals participated in the PYTTs.

    All the participants told us they learned something new, and across the sessions:

    • 100 per cent of participants could correctly define County Lines.
    • 73 per cent of participants could correctly identify what a Gang is and what the warning signs are.
    • 83 per cent of participants could correctly identify acronyms that could help them if stopped and searched.

    3. Curriculum Life
    GYPC supported the annual Takeover Challenge event in November 2018, and 30 young people and 25 decision-makers participated. Takeover Challenge gives young people the opportunity to ‘takeover’ the roles of decision-makers across the Council and is endorsed nationally by the Children’s Commissioner for England.

    At the end of the day:

    • All of the participants said they would take part again.
    • 82 per cent reporting that they had the opportunity/opportunities to contribute to decision-making on the day.
    • All of the participants said they left the day feeling more confident in the workplace environment.

  • 1. Skills for employment and preparing for adulthood
    GYPC ran a very successful Young Apprentice programme in February 2017. 32 young people participated in the programme, which included a day at NatWest's Head Office in Central London to learn more about business and enterprise.

    Young people who participated told us:

    • They had fun and enjoyed the programme (97 per cent)
    • They had better knowledge of the skills needed for the world of work (94 per cent)
    • They had developed key employability skills (87 per cent)
    • They know more about the world of business and enterprise (94 per cent).

    2. Tackling discrimination
    GYPC held a borough-wide youth conference in June 2016 to bring together young people from across the borough's schools and colleges to discuss and challenge the issue of discrimination.

    GYPC are calling for schools to work with its students to deliver one of 10 projects suggested by young people. The top three projects are:

    • A. Setting up an 'anti-discrimination' committee in every school, made up of students from every year group, who would arrange activities and events to engage their peers in tackling discrimination
    • B. Setting up a peer education project in every school, to train a group of students up as peer educators who become student leaders and deliver anti-discrimination workshops and assemblies to their peers
    • C. Work as a school to raise money for anti-discrimination charities who will be able to make a change on a national scale and who can influence local change.

    We're also delighted that this event won a national award - the British Youth Council's Inspiring Project Youth on Board Award.

    3. Meeting decision-makers and responding to consultations
    GYPC met with lots of decision-makers and responded to a number of consultations in 2018, including:

    • Meeting RBG Cabinet Members - to share our ideas and issues with them
    • Meeting Matthew Pennycook MP - to tell him our views on local issues
    • Futureversity - to give feedback on their summer youth programme
    • Healthwatch - to give feedback on our experiences of health services
    • Good Food in Greenwich - to share our experiences of food choices in and after-school
    • NHS London - to give our views on proposals to create safe Child Houses.

    We also contributed to the Greenwich Fairness Commission, sharing our experiences of growing up in Greenwich and what we'd like the future to look like.

UK Parliament representative

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a programme run by the British Youth Council, which provides opportunities for 11 to 18 year olds to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change.

Every year, GYPC elects a Member of UK Youth Parliament (MYP) to represent Royal Greenwich nationally. The MYP attends national events throughout the year, including the UK Youth Parliament's annual sitting and the annual House of Commons debate.

Get updates from the Greenwich Young People's Council