Just as the glorious British summer is thinking about warming up, my UK Youth Parliament is already hotting up! I’m now half-way through my year in office and things are starting to come together.



July was a busy month for me as I continued to progress our priorities:
 

As part of the priority to make leisure services more accessible to young people, I met with the manager of a local watersports centre to discuss a possible partnership.

We are discussing how to best utilise my £500 Live UnLtd funding to provide watersports taster sessions to young people who haven’t had the chance to experience water-based activities before.
 

Another priority is to increase youth participation in volunteering, and to raise awareness in its value and enjoyment. I helped out as a volunteer event marshall in the Olympic Torch Relay when it reached Poole.

I felt very privileged to be a part of this event while I handed out leaflets and flags to the crowds. I massively enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime occasion and want to take this opportunity to wish ‘Team GB’ the best of luck with their Olympic quests.

I participated in a presentation to Poole’s Children’s Trust Governance Board as part of its Shadow Board (a group of young people from a range of backgrounds who aim to assess and monitor children’s services in the borough). The Council was very receptive and liked our proposal of a young people’s cycle hire scheme.

I also attended the 12th UKYP Annual Sitting, which was held in Nottingham. It was a truly superb event in which all the MYPs swapped ideas on how to get the voice of young people better heard.

I attended informative workshops on public speaking and negotiation, and hope to put my new-found skills to the test in the coming months in my Youth Parliament work.

A number of excellent guest speakers were present at the Sitting, including the Rt Hon Jon Bercow MP. We also voted on priority areas for the future.