Young people tell Councils what services are important to them at annual Youth Assembly

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The East Lindsey Youth Assembly, which is the only one in Lincolnshire, took place at the District Council’s Headquarters at Manby. Students from 16 schools and young people from local youth councils, were given the opportunity to discuss and consider the implications of funding issues that Councils face now and in the years to come and how, as young people, they feel these should be addressed.

Students were asked to identify which services different Councils provide to give them a greater understanding of the role of a County Council, District Council and Town or Parish Council. In a hypothetical situation students then prioritised the services to young people that they think Councils should look to improve or reduce to fit a specific budget, with each service having a value.

The feedback from those taking part will be fed into the wider consultation programme at both Councils as they look at the future service provision for young people.

Rachel Cox from Skegness Youth Council explained: “The meeting was another great experience in my life. It was good that young people from different schools and Youth Councils could attend. It made me feel important being able to tell those who make decisions about our services what we want money to be spent on.”

Leader of East Lindsey District Council, Councillor Doreen Stephenson, said: “It is important that we engage young people in the big issues facing Councils and the Assembly is an important part of this. It was a chance for us to explain in detail the types of decisions we will need to make around services and also give those attending an opportunity to decide how they think we should approach the financial challenges that lie ahead for Local Government.”