More about the Islington Youth Council
What is the Youth Council?
The Youth Council was set up by Islington Council in 2011 to give local young people a voice. The current Youth Council was elected in February 2020, and over 5000 11 to 17 year olds in Islington cast their vote.
The Youth Council is made up of 14 youth councillors who have been elected to serve a two year term in office. Youth councillors will also have the opportunity to become the Young Mayor, Deputy Young Mayor and Member of London Youth Assembly.
What do youth councillors do?
The youth councillors work to:
- represent the views of children and young people in Islington
- help determine how money is spent on services for children and young people
- share their views with the council and its partners on issues affecting children and young people
- improve the range and quality of services for young people in Islington.
You will have the opportunity to campaign on issues that concern you and other young people. You will be able to air your views, have people listen and change things in Islington.
To be a youth councillor, you need to be enthusiastic, committed and passionate about the issues you want to campaign about. You will need to give up to 3 hours a week of your free time in term time plus time in the holidays to attend meetings and events. Most of these will be in the evening and at weekends. You will need to be able to juggle your school work and other commitments and hobbies with your role as a youth councillor.
What’s in it for me?
If elected as a youth councillor, you will have the opportunity to learn lots of new skills and gain experience that will help you in your future career.
As a youth councillor you will learn about:
- local democracy and decision making
- public speaking
- running campaigns
- your own skills and how you may want to develop these
- working as part of a team to bring about a shared goal
- how to influence and persuade decision makers
Along the way you’ll be fully supported with lots of training and support.
If you want to get a head start on your future, then think about becoming a youth councillor. It will look great on your CV and will be useful for applications for further and higher education, training and jobs.
If I want to be a youth councillor, what help will I get with my campaign?
Candidates will receive a campaign resource pack consisting of postcards and wristbands. There will also be a three hour training session, which will cover:
- devising a campaign plan
- coming up with a slogan
- understanding what positive campaigning is
- thinking of creative ideas to canvass for support, such as attending school assemblies and using social media.
What we do
The youth councillors take part in a number of activities (including attending meetings taking part in consultations, engaging other young people through social media and holding to account Council leaders and decision makers) to support their work in making progress with their priorities.
If you want more information about the Youth Council, please feel free to get in touch.
- Email youthcouncil@islington.gov.uk
- Phone 020 7527 2552