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20 Oct 00POOLE ELECTS THE FIRST MEMBER OF YOUTH PARLIAMENT IN THE UK IN "OPEN" ELECTIONS
Next Tuesday 24 October 2000, Poole will be the first town in the country to elect its Member for Youth Parliament in elections open to all 11-18 year olds in the Borough.
Taking place at Poole Civic Centre from 9.30-4.30pm, the election forms part of an informative day organised by the Council’s Youth Services and Electoral Services teams for young people to find out more about the Youth Parliament.
The Youth Parliament is an independent national body which aims to give young people in the UK a voice which will be heard and listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies who have an interest in the views and needs of young people. It has the support of the Prime Minister Tony Blair MP, leader of the Conservative Party William Hague MP and Charles Kennedy MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats but is strictly non-party political.
It will be holding its first sitting of over 400 MYPs next year when they will develop a Young People’s manifesto based on the hopes, fears, issues and ideas of young people from all walks of life and from all over the country. This manifesto will be presented to Cabinet, Parliament, party leaders and service providers who will then be better informed about the impact of their adult decisions on children and young people - and challenged to respond. Each MYP will hold office for one year.
Peter Cooper, Senior Youth Worker, Borough of Poole, said: ‘The Youth Parliament will offer young people from all over Poole the chance to voice their concerns and issues about the way things are - locally, nationally and globally. They will have an opportunity to have influence at the highest level of Government. It’s very exciting that Poole will elect the first Member for the first ever UK Youth Parliament.
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Editors Notes : Programme for the day is attached.
UK YOUTH PARLIAMENT PROGRAMME
Borough of Poole local election
24 October 2000
Civic Centre, Poole
9.00 am: ARRIVALS
9.30 am: INTRO AND WELCOME:
Jim Brooks Chief Exec. - An introduction from the BOROUGH OF POOLE
Christine White - Youth Officer
Peter Cooper, Senior Youth Worker - Welcome to the day - Health and Safety
Lynda Thomson, Participation Worker - UKYP and agenda for the day
9.45 am: REGISTRATION:
Delegates put into colour coded groups (if required)
10.00 am: WARM UP SESSION:
Peter and Lynda - I agree/disagree
10.15 am: WHY ARE WE HERE?
Peter and Lynda - Aims and expectations of the participants and organisers
10.30 am: WORKSHOPS - groups stay the same but have a different facilitator for each workshop:
1) CITIZENSHIP
2) DEMOCRACY
3) REPRESENTATION
Each workshop will include:
a) Finding out where young people are in relation to their understanding of the topics
b) Achieving consensus of opinion on what it means
c) Identifying a topic (possibly from a few options) i.e. the building of Poole Bridge
d) Identify how to improve the topic using a citizenship, democracy and representation
12.00 pm: EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK from facilitators - and rearrangement of tables and chairs
12.30 pm -1.30 pm:
LUNCH BREAK (a social event)
Candidates identified during lunch break (to facilitators)
Information passed on to Electoral Register Office
1.30 pm: HUSTINGS - preparations
2.00 pm: HUSTINGS
2.30 pm: VOTING
3.00 pm: RESULTS - announcement of successful candidate
Celebration of the first MYP in the UK Youth Parliament
3.10 pm: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT - A way forward for the group - Lynda
3.30 pm: EVALUATION OF THE DAY - Peter
4.00 pm: CLOSING CEREMONY - Jim Brooks
Peter Cooper, Senior Youth Worker - 262288
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