PRESS RELEASE
Issued by:
Councillor Tom Harney
Date of Issue: April 15th 2008
Contact numbers:
0151 327 2146
07890 280074

CALL FOR COUNCIL ‘THANK YOU' TO YOUNG PEOPLE

As the number of young people involved in Council decision-making grows, a Wirral Councillor is calling for their efforts to be formally recorded and rewarded.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Tom Harney says,

“Since the setting up of Wirral's Youth Parliament, Youth Forums, Schools Councils, and similar bodies, a growing number of young people are getting involved in local decision-making and contributing to the work of the Council.

“We very much welcome this trend and we think that those young people who take the time and effort to get involved deserve to have their efforts recognised.

“We'd like to see their contribution to the work of the council placed on a permanent record which they could then use as part of their CV when applying for courses and jobs.

“We'd also like to say ‘thank you' to each young person with a formal letter of thanks and a token of appreciation.”

Councillor Harney will be taking his proposals to the next meeting of Wirral's Full Council on 21 April.

Councillor Sarah Quinn, who will be seconding the proposals, said,

“Young people are all too often portrayed in a negative light. It's time we acknowledged and encouraged the positive contribution that many of them are making to our local communities.”

Wirral has been awarded Beacon Status for ‘Positive Youth Engagement in the Community and the Democratic Process'.

Wirral's Youth Forums and Youth Parliament were established following Liberal Democrat proposals. The Youth Parliament held its first meeting in October 2006.

The Liberal Democrat motion follows:

Full Council April 21 2008

Notice of Motion - Liberal Democrat Group
YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE COUNCIL

Council recognises with gratitude the contribution of young people to meetings of the Council, committees, area forums, district boards, and other meetings.

It places on record its thanks both to the young people, and to the officers who have supported the young people.

The Council recognises the need for the young people to have a permanent record of their contribution to the work of the council for use in applying for courses and jobs, as part of their curriculum vitae.

It therefore instructs officers to:

1. design a pro forma to record the contribution of the young person to the work of the Council;
2. draft a letter to be used as the basis of a letter of thanks to be sent to the young person;
3. devise a means of giving a token of appreciation such as a book token;
4. recommend a system of feedback to the young person so that the difference their contribution has made to the work of the council can be acknowledged.

Moved by: Councillor Tom Harney
Seconded by: Councillor Sarah Quinn