Walsall’s future leaders have taken to the Council Chamber to debate key societal issues.
Young people aged between 12 and 16 attended a youth debate hosted by the council on Thursday 6 November, and debated topics such as the learning environment at school and anti-social behaviour in the borough.
Chaired by Deputy Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Chris Bott, the debate gave pupils from St Thomas More Catholic School, West Walsall E-ACT Academy and Blue Coat Academy an opportunity to have their say and help influence the way the council and its partners deliver services.
The group was split into two sides of the Chamber and were supported by youth workers and officers from West Midlands Police who were there to listen and help them prepare their arguments.
Oritse attended the debate and said, “I found the experience at Walsall Council Chamber to be an absolute honour and a pleasure to be there. It was great to have my thoughts on these topics listened to and accounted for.”
Deputy Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Chris Bott said, “It was a pleasure to welcome young people into the Council Chamber and give them a flavour of how democracy works in action. Their contributions about each debate were brilliant and we most definitely had future leaders of Walsall in the room!”
“ What a brilliant evening we had listening to a fantastic group of people in the Chamber.
We’ve made our commitment to young people that their voices will be heard, listened to, and drive positive change, and we’re doing exactly that through events like these and our youth summits.
The debate ran like a real Council meeting, and speakers spoke with honesty, integrity, and with a real sense of wisdom. Their contributions were remarkable, and it really was inspiring to listen to
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The debate plays an active part in the council’s 2040 vision to ensure children and young people are happy, thriving, and excited for their future.
Insights from the debate will now be taken forward by the council.
