Your voice and opinions are the most important part of youth work and shape the support you receive – we call this Youth Voice.
You should be able to express yourself, know that your opinions count and that you can make changes in your own life and in the lives of others around you and your community.
Youth voice is there to inspire you to care and be interested in the world, other people and their lives. When you understand this and want to change things, your life is richer and you grow as a person.
Through youth voice, we engage you in activities and reflect on positive experiences and how they benefit you personally and society at large.
Youth voice is important to every service we deliver to young people, playing a part in everything from early help plans to children in need meetings and everything in between. This website would not exist without youth voice.
Youth voice is not only about you having your say, there are some big opportunities for young people in Sefton, including:
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is made up of Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) from boroughs across the UK, aged 11-18 years of age.
MYPs come from lots of different backgrounds, whether they be individual candidates or those elected through local youth councils. The UKYP actively promotes the role to young people who are socially excluded or who have difficult life circumstances.
UKYP ensures that the young people of the UK are given a voice on any issue that affects them, as laid out in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UKYP gives the young people of the UK an opportunity to be involved in a democratic process at a national level.
UKYP empowers young people to take positive action within their local communities based upon issues of shared concern.
UKYP is a non-party political organisation, and as such, seeks to represent no party political view. UKYP is solely issue based.
In Sefton we have two Members of Youth Parliament that are elected through the youth cabinet.
To find out more, visit the British Youth Council website
Sefton Youth Cabinet campaigns to make life better for young people in Sefton.
The biggest campaign coordinated by young people in Sefton as part of the Youth Cabinet, is A Curriculum for Life, which was the big topic discussed at the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP).
At the Youth Cabinet you will be listened to and have your opinions heard by key decision makers in Sefton.
If you want to become a Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for Sefton at the UKYP, you can put yourself forward as a candidate at cabinet meetings.
When you join the Sefton Youth Council you become part of a virtual network where you discuss the issues that matter to you in an online space.
Not all of the work of Sefton Youth Council takes place online – as part of the council you will organise events based on the opinions and feelings that young people share online, giving you a chance to meet local decision makers, movers and shakers to create positive change in your local community.
SYMBOL stands for Sefton Youth Making Better Opportunities with Leaders.
It gives you, as a young person playing an active role in your community, a direct line of communication with key decision makers, such as local councilors and senior managers at the Local Authority.
Through SYMBOL you can get involved in initiatives such as the Takeover Day, where young people have taken over parts of Sefton Council, such as running and organising its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Sefton Young Advisors work in partnership with community leaders and decision makers to enable the voices of young people to be heard in community life.
To find out more about young advisors, including how you can become one yourself, visit their website
This is a diverse group of 25 young people from right across the City Region which meets 6 times a year and serves as a crucial sounding board for the Metro Mayor. The Metro Mayor's office also ensure there are plenty development opportunities for members of the group to develop their skills.
To find out more, visit the Liverpool City Region website Youth pages
The Youth Foria are meetings that take place across the North West where young people from different boroughs are supported by their local authorities to share the good work they are doing to support fellow young people.
Representing Sefton as part of the Youth Foria, you will take part in workshops where you make sure the voices of minority groups are heard, including LGBTQ and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
To find out more, visit the North West Youth Focus website