York Youth Council (YYC) work to empower young people to have a voice and influence decision makers.
Get the latest information on:
- York Youth Council consultations
- York Youth Council outreach and engagement
- York Youth Council campaigns
- 'Make Your Mark' ballot results
- UK Youth Parliament
Youth Council consultations
The Youth Council performs a consultation function for many partners and engage constructively to make sure projects are:
- Tailored to benefit Young people
- Accessible
- In line with the Youth Council’s vision for York
YYC strives so that young people are always consulted by projects that will impact them. They are advocating for the inclusion of YYC into the formal consultation process and increase the importance of the Youth Council in this vital stage of planning.
To do this, they are:
- building stronger links with ward councillors and council executives to seek support on campaigns related to their portfolios
- seeking closer links with corporate directors to guide strategies for campaigns
- establishing closer links with the York Schools Board to help promote campaigns, their role and their work
Moving forward, YYC will maintain such links, and strengthen them in order to grow their consulting portfolio, so that youth voice is placed at the forefront of projects.
Please contact us if you wish to consult with us.
York Youth Council outreach and engagement
The main goals for YYC related to outreach and engagement are:
- improving our visibility and openness as a youth authority
- increasing the extent of local engagement in the Make Your Mark ballots
- Increasing the number of Youth Councillors we have so that there are 2 from each secondary school
Visibility and openness of York Youth Council
YYC's visibility and openness about work undertaken needs to improve. Standards set by other youth councils (in cities such as Manchester and Doncaster) show a need to engage with the young people in the local area, to be effective representatives.
While YYC already interacts with schools, better and stronger links with pupils and students must be built, rather than just engaging with the schools they attend. To support this YYC aim to improve their online and physical presence within schools.
Online, YYC has aims to:
- publish minutes of YYC meetings, so that young people of the city know what's happening
- make it easy for people to contact YYC, to provide their own contributions for discussion, or to hold YYC to account as a representative
- establish consistent communication with young people on various existing social media platforms (Instagram)
- explore the use of video and digital art in campaigns to spread awareness about our activities
Local engagement in 'Make Your Mark' ballots
YYC want to encourage large scale participation in local, young person’s democracy.
They campaign for as many of the 63 schools in the city as possible, to participate in the Make Your Mark ballot. This is an annual vote held by UK Youth Parliament that aims to outline which issues are most important to young people.
In 2024, they achieved the highest ever turnout for the Make Your Mark referendum, resulting in the 46% turnout, which is the 3rd highest in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.
In future, YYC wish to expand this even further utilising new campaign strategies alongside their plans for openness and engagement to increase the number of schools in York taking part.
YYC work closely with the council and school boards to promote Make Your Mark.
York Youth Council campaigns
The main focus of YYC's campaigns is taken from the results of annual 'Make Your Mark' ballots.
York Youth Council campaign to protect the environment
The primary focus of the York Youth Council’s campaigns is protecting the environment, we are:
- proposing solutions on a local and individual level
- looking at solutions rooted in the seemingly mundane daily actions of individuals, and the day-to-day conduct of organisations
- reduce the impact of local pollution and littering
The 'York Eco-Brick Campaign’ is a local project, relating to the global Eco-Brick initiative which involves creating sustainable building resources from non-recyclable plastic, to be distributed across the globe, contributing to valuable infrastructure, internationally. YYC will coordinate with schools, and experiment with new mediums for this engagement, such as videos and digital art.
YYC's collaboration with Make It York looks to implement a scheme with encourages customers to re-use bags and cups at local businesses, ;to receive a small discount and reduce disposable items; similar initiatives have already been successful in Leeds. YYC aims to launch a ‘York Environment Card’ (to record customers' re-use instances) in support of this scheme.
York Youth Council mental health campaign
Campaigning for good mental health is important to YYC, especially within schools.
The maintenance of good mental wellbeing is one of the greatest struggles amongst young people today, with more than 1 in 4 people suffering from some form of poor mental health, and 1 in 10 suffering from a form of diagnosable mental illness.
The Youth Council works with local health and social care executives, and with Minding Minds to make sure that schools have their own mental health awareness groups and organise their own respective campaigns.
In future, YYC will work to involve as many York schools as possible in mental health wellbeing initiatives.
York Youth Council's involvement with the '12 Moves Plan'
YYC are working with officers in City of York Council to implement 'York’s 12 Moves', a contingency plan to make York a more inclusive city.
The 12 Moves Plan aims to work with local schools across the city, and to gain support from members of the Equalities and Communities Teams, as well as council executives.
2024 'Make Your Mark' results
York Youth Council's report on the 2024 'Make Your Mark' ballot, the national consultation happens every two years, which gives young people a say on what will be debated by Members of the UK Youth Parliament.
The Make Your Mark ballot is supported by local authorities, schools, UK Parliament, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It gives young people across the country a say on what is to be debated in the House of Commons by Members of Youth Parliament.
Following the debate, the top issues are brought to the attention of Government Ministers, including those with responsibility for youth policy.
In 2024, young people from York voted 'top issues' as:
- Culture, Media and Sport
- Health and wellbeing
- Jobs, economy and Benefits
UK Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament enables young people to use their energy and passion for change through opportunities and platforms both local and national. There are currently over 350 elected Members of Youth Parliament in the UK.
They are all engaged in national campaigns and a variety of local projects. Members of Youth Parliament (MYP) are elected every two years by young people aged 11 to 18 in the local area. They and their Deputy (DMYP) serve on the Youth Council for the length of their term.
York is a single UKYP constituency, with 18,000 young people across 105 square miles. It elects one Member of Youth Parliament.
Our Member of Youth Parliament
Thibault Duckett was elected MYP for York in January 2024, and will serve a two-year term.
As MYP, Thibault will represent York’s youth at a local, regional and national level through the UK Youth Parliament.
Role of MYP
Members of Youth Parliament spend 5 hours per week representing their constituents through meetings, calls and casework. They are obligated to engage, promote and represent the constituency they hold office for. MYP for York also is chair of the Youth assembly for York and North Yorkshire ex officio, alongside the three other MYPs in this area. This is rotated round to ensure representation.
The MYP is also expected to sit on the Youth Council and take a leading role within it, acting as the main liaison between YYC and the UKYP. Within YYC, the MYP is subordinate to the chair, but is able to lead meetings in their absence with their approval.
Becoming MYP/DMYP
To become MYP/DMYP you must be part of YYC, and have a clear vision for York, the Youth Council will then conduct a vote to decide who shall be MYP/DMYP.
