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Local young people encouraged to stand for election

Young people in our area are being encouraged to stand for election and have their say on local issues.

Young people can get involved in local decision making and influence funding for youth projects as part of the Wiltshire Youth Council.

The Wiltshire Youth Council was launched last year, with representatives from secondary schools across the county elected to speak out on issues that are important to them.

Schools are now being invited to encourage 11-17 year-olds to stand for the next election, which takes place between Monday 29 January 2024 and Friday 2 February 2024. There are also three youth councillor community seats available for young people who live in Wiltshire but do not attend school in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire youth councillors have the power to:

  • Meet up with Wiltshire Council leaders and have their say on local decisions.
  • Work with area boards to ensure funding for youth projects has the right impact for them and their peers.
  • Inspect services to ensure they represent young people's best interests.
  • Easily communicate with their peers so young people's views are properly represented.

Youth councillors will be elected to a one-year term and will be asked to commit one evening per month to attend a full youth council meeting, which will focus on issues important to them. They will also be expected to talk to their peers about issues and represent their views. There will be training to support youth councillors in their roles, covering topics such as debating, running a youth inspection and delivering presentations.

Current youth councillors have provided valuable input in a wide range of areas including the Wiltshire Healthy Schools programme, the allocation of youth grant funding, mental health services and cost of living advice and support for young people. Wiltshire youth councillors also supported the first ever Wiltshire Youth Pride event and the Youth4Ukraine campaign which raised over £12,000.

For further information people can also contact childandyouthvoice@wiltshire.gov.uk