Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

Students learn more about democracy at Council event

Wednesday, 21 August 2024

We recently hosted 65 young people at Priory House to learn more about democracy.

Students from Pix Brook Academy, Sandy Secondary School and Redborne Upper School attended a ‘democracy day’ held at Priory House which was organised by our Youth Voice team and supported by the wider Youth Support Service.

The day consisted of five workshops to help the young people learn more about democracy in the UK.

They were able to hear from eight councillors, who ran sessions about debating and how to talk to a councillor, helping them understand how they can engage with local representatives. There was an opportunity for question time, and to learn about campaigning too.

One young person from Redborne Upper School said:

I had a really good time; I enjoyed the question time as it was interesting to hear the different opinions from the councillors.

Councillor Steve Owen, Executive Member for Children and Families, said: 

This event provided a great opportunity for the Council to speak to so many young people about what democracy is and how they can get involved. Our Youth Voice team received some great feedback too from people who attended, which shows why events like this are so important. It’s a great opportunity to equip our young people with the tools they need to be active and informed members of our community, who know that their voice matters.