Youth Forum in first meeting

The group is organised by the Youth Commission and is made up of 24 young people, aged between 13 and 17, who sit on the forum for a two-year session. At the weekend induction at Les Ozouet Campus the young people had to chance to meet politicians, have some media training and do some team building.

Youth Commission senior participation and engagement worker Sebastian Graça da Silva said the group was quite diverse.

‘There are representatives from schools and organisations that work with young people,’ he said, adding that the forum was vital to fulfilling Guernsey’s commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children and to give young people a voice. The forum often submits opinions during States consultations to reflect youth views and concerns.

Among the new forum members was 14-year-old Hattie Jinks from Ladies’ College.

The commission had visited the college and students had then written letters to staff about why they would want to take part. There was then an election, in which Hattie was chosen.

‘I wanted to be involved in deciding my future and make new friends,’ she said.

Keynan Gaudion, 15, was representing Les Beaucamps High School.

‘I wanted to take part in it because I am quite interested in politics,’ he said.

He added that it had been interesting to meet with chief minister Peter Ferbrache and Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen.

‘It gave me a different perspective. Rather than a room of deputies, they are a group of people with ideas.’