To support young people across the country as best we can, we need to develop a National Youth Strategy that is not only about young people, but written with them.
The government has begun work to create and implement a new National Youth Strategy designed to put the views of young people at the centre of decision-making on policies that affect them.
The Strategy will prioritise delivering better coordinated youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level. It will make sure decision-making moves away from a one-size-fits all approach, handing power back to young people and their communities, and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector.
In order to ensure young people’s voices in Ribble Valley are heard, I held a National Youth Strategy engagement session at Bowland High with the School Council, to hear their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities they are facing today.
We discussed everything from mental health to youth services and their comments will now feed directly into the new strategy.
The National Youth Strategy will be published this Autumn.
