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Spelthorne Youth Council
Spelthorne Youth Council is a representative forum of 31 young people aged eleven to nineteen from the Spelthorne area, which is elected annually in October from an open youth consultation event called "Your Shout".
Spelthorne Student Council was first established in December 2000 and is believed to be the first Student Council set up in Surrey. Initially, the Student Council drew only from local schools, but in October 2004 was renamed the Spelthorne Youth Council when membership was expanded to ensure that the new Youth Council was more representative of the diversity of young people in Spelthorne. For more on the history of the Spelthorne Student Council see below.
The full Youth Council meets on a monthly basis in the Council Chamber with each meeting being chaired and operated by young people from the Youth Council. Officers from Surrey County Council and Spelthorne Borough Council provide support to the Youth Council to implement new initiatives.
Youth Councillors represent young people at the Young People Partnership and the Local Strategic Partnership and are included in all relevant local consultations. The Youth Council has direct influence over the future of local services for young people.
This year the Youth Council will be working on a number of projects arising from four priority areas identified by Young People at "Your Shout". These are:
- Transport
- Facilities and Activities
- Safety
- Information
They have already formed working groups to develop new local initiatives.
- Spelthorne Youth Awards
- Improving Communication to Young People
- Establishing regular drop in centres / Youth Cafes
The Youth Council will determine the priorities for future improvements and further working groups will be established to ensure that services to young people in Spelthorne are continuously improved.
History of Spelthorne Student Council
Spelthorne Student Council 2000-2004
Spelthorne Student Council is open to all young people aged between eleven and nineteen years who attend school or college in the Spelthorne area. Six local secondary schools, two independent schools and Spelthorne College are invited, annually, to elect two Student Councillors plus a deputy to represent their school/college on the Council.
Spelthorne Student Council was established in December 2000 and was believed to be the first Student Council set up in Surrey. The Council held meetings twice per term and seeked to represent the views of young people and provide opportunities to meet and work with councillors, local agencies and decision makers. It also aimed to develop citizenship skills amongst the young people. In October 2004 the Student Council was renamed the Spelthorne Youth Council and changes were made so that it better reflected the diversity of young people in Spelthorne.
The Student Council operated in the same way as the Borough Council and gives the Borough Council the opportunity to get young people's views on a variety of issues including leisure, public transport, crime and disorder and facilities for young people.
In addition to addressing their own agenda, the Student Council was consulted by groups and organisations e.g.
In the formulation of the Borough Council's Leisure and Culture Strategy
Taking part in the elections to the UK Parliament for young people.
Projects initiated by the Spelthorne Student Council include:
- The launch of a website for young people in Spelthorne - "Youth Unlimited"
- Spel-Bound - a showcase for young talent and
- Spelthorne Youth Awards for young achievers in Spelthorne
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