Every year the Youth Mayor raises money for a local charity and this year I decided to support the Vale Youth Forum. The Vale Youth Forum is a registered charity who helps young people have a voice on issues that affect them and their communities.
On Saturday 23rd July, we held a bag packing event in Asda, Barry. I'd like to thank Lynette, the Community Champion for helping to arrange the fundraiser. Members of the Youth Cabinet and Vale Youth Forum took part and I'd like to thank them for supporting the fundraiser and also thank the generous Asda customers who donated.
The day was a great success and we raised £308 for the Vale Youth Forum and I presented the Chair of the Vale Youth Forum, Erin Jennings with a cheque for the money raised. The money will go towards helping with the promotion of the Vale Youth Forum in the local community which will hopefully encourage more young people to join the Forum to represent the voice of their peers in their local communities.
We have just had a really exciting interview with Jacob on Bro Radio who hosts the Youth Show! We talked about the Youth Cabinet, the Vale Youth Forum and all the important work we do. We talked about the work we have done in the past, what we're working on at the moment and what we are doing in the future, for example our upcoming trip to Belgium in August.
So if you want to hear all about it, remember to tune into Bro Radio Youth Show 98.1 fm on Thursday 7pm - 9pm. We're on at 8:42pm!
We've decided to start introducing the Welsh language into our meetings and we had an excellent introduction by our two fluent Welsh speakers who both kicked off the meeting. Llwyddiant mawr! We had a full agenda; however still had time for fun, working on our Welsh pronunciation!
As a Cabinet we analysed the results from the Vale Youth Service Youth Offer consultation, which we are going to be working on in the autumn term to find out more about what young people want from the Youth Service in the Vale. We also looked over the Vale of Glamorgan Super Survey which all young people will be filling in soon in schools and colleges across the Vale. The results of the survey will help improve children and young people's services in the Vale.
In more exciting news we are soon going to Belgium for a Twinning Youth Camp where we are required to plan and host a Welsh themed night. We can't wait to start planning and we're sure it will be loads of fun ... hopefully!
It's Youth Work Week in Wales and it's time to
celebrate the postive impact youth work has on our lives. We've been
asked "What's your youth work story?", so some of us just wanted
to let you know about our personal experiences of youth work and how it has
helped us ....
Emily:I've
been involved in youth work for 6 years and it has given me the opportunity to
represent my local area to local, national and international
decision-makers. I've had the chance to travel across Europe and
meet lots of new people and friends. I am now able to facilitate
workshops and training to young people and professionals on a variety of issues
and it has given me the passion to fight for young people's voices to be heard!
Erin: Youth
work has made me happy. I'm proud of myself and
my friends because we work together to make a change in young
people's lives locally. I can now create session plans and deliver
workshops and I know how important children's rights
are.
Daniel: Over the past couple of years I have been involved with many
projects that have been championed by Youth Workers; these include the Rights
Ambassador project, D of E, Vale Youth Forum and Cabinet, not forgetting VOG
Youth Mayor as well! All of these projects have been outstanding examples of
good practices by the dedicated and simply wonderful Youth Workers, who on a
daily basis have enriched not only my life, but the lives of many young people
right across the county. Youth Work has enabled me to do things that
before I would have never done; Youth Work has provided me with many
opportunities that I would have thought as impossible, Youth Work has equipped
me with the skills to succeed in life, and to top it all of Youth Work has
given me many new friends and memories. I could go on further about the
positive impact Youth Work has had on my life yet the list would be endless!
Ellis: Youth
work has increased my confidence so much that I can speak infront of people now
without vomiting! I have developed my public speaking skills and now
have the skills to be Vice Chair of the Vale Youth Forum, deliver assemblies
and as a Young Inspector inspect young people's services to award
them with the Children and young People's Participation Kitemark for
Wales.
Daley: I've
been involved with the youth service since September 2014 when I
joined Barry Youth Action and I've had so many
opportunities. I've joined the Vale Youth Forum and I'm now part of the
Vale of Glamorgan Youth Cabinet and going to Belgium in July to meet
Youth Councils from across Europe. I've been trained as a Young
Commissioner to help deliver a new Emotional Health & Wellbeing
service for young people locally and I've meet the Queen and Prince
Charles. I love being a Youth Councillor and attending meetings
because I am improving things for young people, we even have a joke
and the youth workers like Bethan ,Geraint, Conway and Ve are fantastic in
helping me! It's not too much either, just one meeting a month.
It's fun and I like a debate so positive all round. I now have the
opportunity to be Youth Mayor in October and I'm sure everyone would like to
take up that opportunity. I've developed loads of new skills and
it's very interesting because you find out information that nobody else would
know about yet. Youth work is a fantastic service!
Kyle: Youth
work has given me the confidence to meet new people, gain qualifications and
teach children, young people and professionals about the UNCRC. I've
started to help people whereas before I was doing nothing.
Emme: I've
attended youth clubs, I've been a Young Inspector, a member of the Vale Youth
Forum and the first Youth Cabinet and I did my 6th form work
experience with the Youth Service. I've had so many opportunities to
meet new people, try new things and my experience has been so rewarding.
I'm now about to go onto University and youth work has inspired me to
study politics.
The Youth Excellence Awards took place on Friday 24th June in Llandudno, North Wales and was a fantastic experience. We won the Youth Excellence Award for most outstanding young person led project in Wales! To think our school transport project has proved to be a significant piece of work where we have represented the voices of young people in the Vale to a variety of decision-makers is a great achievement of which we are extremly proud of. To have this recognised on a national level, at the Welsh Government Youth Excellence Awards 2016 is an honour!
It was wonderful to see so many inspirational young people and youth work projects being recognised for their achievements across Wales and to celebrate Youth Work Week in Wales. The venue was amazing, the food was delicious and the young people who performed at the event were sooooo good!! Also a massive congratulations to the Right's Ambassadors and Cadoxton Regeneration Project for representing the Vale and being shortlisted for another two fantastic awards; outstanding rights youth work project and outstanding arts and media project. What a lovely evening!
Andy Borsden, Lead Officer for Youth and Community Learning at the Council came to our meeting to talk to us about the Youth Offer. Following a consultation with young people in the Vale last year, Andy wanted to know what we thought and asked us how more young people can be involved in ensuring the Vale Youth Service provides activities and projects young people want. This looks like it's going to be a big piece of work for the Youth Cabinet and we can't wait to speak to more young people about what they want to be included.
We also prepared for the exciting Youth Excellence Awards that we are attending in Llandudno this coming weekend because our School Transport Report has been shortlisted for an 'outstanding young person led project! During the meeting we also finalised our new logo, watch this space!
We would like to thank Billy & Jacob from Bro Radio's Youth Show for asking us to come on their show and also Cathie Steele for inviting us to the VIP tent at the Barry Scouts & Girl Guides Fete at Romilly Park on 2nd July. Looks like its going to be a busy summer! Also congrats to Tom & Dan for receiving their award for being elected onto the new Youth Cabinet at the end of April.
This week is Armed Forces Week and events will be taking place all over the UK to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community (Royal Navy, British Army & Royal Air Force) and risk their lives to protect us.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council awarded freedom of the County Borough to the ship's company of HMS Cambria and as an early celebration on Saturday 18th June the ships company marched through Barry town and were led by the Band of HM Royal Marines, Plymouth. There was an impressive ceremony at King's Square in Barry and then they marched through Barry town centre to the Civic Offices where we watched the Armed Forces Day flag being raised whilst celebrating local residents and veterans who have and are part of the Armed Forces community.
Armed Forces Day will take place on Saturday 25th June but you can get involved by showing your support and #SaluteOurForces for all they do! Find our more information here.
