On Friday 6 March, members of the EHC Student Union and Year 12 students studying A Level Politics attended the Outer South Community Youth Summit at Leeds Civic Hall.

The Leeds Outer South Community Youth Summit is part of a wider scheme of Leeds Youth Voice to include young people in discussions of how youth funding is used, and to support with local decision-making and democracy in action. Topics discussed during the summit included homelessness, transport, and the environment & littering.

As part of the Summit, students were invited to take part in a range of activities focused on democracy in action, including workshops. They had the chance to meet various Leeds City Councillors & learn about their role in local democracy. Students also had the chance to meet the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Counsellor Dan Cohen, who took part in a Q&A session with the group. Throughout the day, key themes around politics & democracy were explored, including decision-making, negotiation, and prioritisation. A highlight of the day was a tour of the Council Chamber where full council meetings are held, with some students given the opportunity to sit in the Mayor’s seat!

EHC Student Union President Matipa Chloe said of the experience: “It was a real eye-opener, and I feel grateful to be able to see how the Council works. It was great to see the big-picture planning that goes on, and I felt my voice was included despite me not doing Politics. I appreciate that the Mayor took time out of his day to see us & listen to our questions, and I feel that all our questions were answered.”

Reagan, one of the Politics students also on the trip, said: “One of the questions that I had asked during the trip to the local councillors was “What specific initiatives are being planned to create more opportunities for young people in Leeds, particularly in terms of employment and skills development, and how can young people get involved?”. I asked this as I felt it was important to bring attention to the struggles that people my age, including myself, face when it comes to employment and in general work-based opportunities after leaving secondary school, especially in a highly developed city where these struggles shouldn’t be as significant.

The trip itself was absolutely great, and I’m sure I can speak for most people when I say that it was brilliant to meet the people who run the foundations of this city that we live in.”