Liberal Democrat Councillor supporting young people’s voice across Yorkshire and the Humber

Ashley Mason with Members of Youth Parliament and Youth Council Leads from across Yorkshire and the Humber

Liberal Democrat and City of York Councillor, Ashley Mason, is taking a regional role to champion the voice of over 500,000 young people in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Cllr Mason, who has a track record in supporting the York Youth Council, has been supporting the regional Youth Work Unit to ensure young people have access to information and resources, in order to enable them to have their say in local and regional decision-making.

Cllr Mason is now working to create an online digital platform for all young people to access. It will contain useful information on how decisions are made, which bodies are responsible for services and what the role is of their elected representatives.

On Saturday the 18^th November, Councillor Mason met with 12 young people, from respective Local Authorities, to discuss the creation of a possible digital platform. The discussion included Members of Youth Parliament and Youth Council from: Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, York, Doncaster, North Yorkshire, Rotherham, Barnsley and North East Lincolnshire.

Cllr Ashley Mason said:

“It was great to discuss my plans with these highly engaged and passionate young people. It was abundantly clear that there is a lot of disparity across the 12 local authorities, in regards to engagement and access to information. This new resource will help any young person wanting to learn more about organisations such as Councils and CCGs and in turn, help them influence the decisions that affect young people in their communities.

Cllr Mason added “I have given up a lot of my time to this project work; championing the voices of young people is something I feel very passionate about. It is so encouraging to have the full support of the young people I have spoken too and to hear what impact this could have. I am also very grateful to the Regional Youth Work Unit, who are equally as enthusiastic about this project as I am,”

The website is intended to be launched at the Young Peoples Convention in Northallerton, January 2018. The project is currently being self-financed by Cllr Mason, but anyone interested in supporting or contributing to this valuable project should email cllr.amason@york.gov.uk

Brighter futures for children in care in York

Employee volunteering charity York Cares and the council have been working together on a project to help young people in care acquire the skills and experience to prepare them for their next steps.

Called Bright Futures, this ongoing joint project aims to help those aged between 11 and 18 by matching them with employers from across the city who can offer taster days, behind the scenes visits and skills workshops.

This week of opportunities took place ahead of activities run around the tenth national Takeover Challenge which this year will run from 24 November 2017. The Challenge involves organisations across England opening their doors to children and young people and letting them take over adult roles.

York Cares works with many of the city’s leading employers several of whom, over the course of the Bright Futures week, delivered activities to young people in care in Years 7 to 13. Many different sectors were showcased by employers throughout the week from construction to performing arts giving young people an insight into a range of careers.

Activities that have taken place included building firm Evora offering a young person an insight into architecture and setting them the challenge to design their own house. A group of young people took to the bikes at York Sport Village and learnt about the range of roles available within the leisure industry. Young people also visited York Theatre Royal, Askham Bryan College, Portakabin, and The Dormouse pub which have all given young people a taster of what they could expect from working there.

After one activity, a young person said, “I will probably come back here and apply for a job!” demonstrating how inspiring activities with employers can be for young people thinking about their futures.
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Action taken – Sheena steps in to deal with Tedder Road park problems

As we reported last week, the Council has been slow to deal with a hazard presented by an overgrown rose bush on the Tedder Road park. Its thorn branches have been overhanging a footpath at eye height for several weeks.

Cllr. Sheena Jackson has now taken direct action herself over the weekend and cut back the dangerous branches . We hope that the Council will soon trim the rest of the bush.

While in the park, Sheena took the opportunity to sweep up the leaf fall in the well used snicket which links Otterwood Lane and the Tedder Road park. The Council has been asked to clear broken glass from several locations in the area.

Residents are reminded that the current cycle is the last for emptying green bins (garden waste – including leaves) until April.

What’s on in York: An Evening With Ali Smith

York Explore Library :

Thu 23 Nov :

6.30pm – 8.00pm :

£5

Penguin and Waterstones present award-winning author, Ali Smith, who will be discussing her new novel, Winter. The follow-up to her sensational Autumn, Smith’s shape-shifting quartet of novels casts a merry eye over a bleak post-truth era with a story rooted in history, memory and warmth, its taproot deep in the evergreens: art, love, laughter.

Ali has previously been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Folio Prize and the Orange Prize, and has been the winner of the Baileys Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize and the Costa Novel Award.

Book at Waterstones York, by phone (01904) 620784.

To book tickets please click here.