Issue - meetings

The Assembly received the Barking and Dagenham (BAD) Youth Forum and Young Mayor’s Annual report, introduced by the Head of Engagement, Opportunity and Wellbeing, who was accompanied by representatives of the Youth Forum.

This report detailed the achievements of the BAD Youth Forum during the past 12 months outlining the work of each of the sub-groups, their aims and the impact of the work completed.

The BAD Youth Forum was in its 18^th year. Its purpose was to provide young people with a formal platform to express their views and be ambassadors for young people locally. The Forum elected 70 young people in 2019 through a democratic election process in those participating schools, coordinated by the Youth Service with support from Democratic Services. These elections included Goresbrook and Greatfields schools for the first time. Trinity Special School elected new representatives, via an internal election process suitable to the needs of students.

The Forum split into three sub-groups focussing on different campaigns, the representatives on each of which highlighted the key areas and achievements of their work during the year, including:

Community Action Sub-Group: Young people focussed on drugs and alcohol, teen parents, Personal, Social, Health and Economic education including the Adverse Childhood Experiences Programme,  Domestic abuse Commission Ambassadors, a community event at Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club and volunteering at Barking Food Bank.

Young Mayor Sub-Group: Worked closely with Joshua Singh-Hill, Young Mayor to support his efforts to raise funds for SANE Mental Health Charity through a range of different events which raised £4017.53 as well as raising awareness of both the Charity and mental health in young people in general.

Young Inspectors Sub-Group: Young Inspectors continued to quality assure the Come Correct Condom Distribution scheme (C- card scheme) in Barking and Dagenham. They also inspected the School Nurse service and the Outpatients East Sexual Health Service.

Other areas in which Forum Members took an active role included:

·  Youth Independent Advisory Group

·  Eight separate consultation exercises covering a range of topics

·  London Youth Assembly

·  Stubbers Activity Centre

·  Youth Parade

·  Visit of Prince Harry for the official opening of the Youth Zone

·  Visit to Houses of Parliament

·  Attendance at meetings of the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Finally, reference was made to the outcome of the recent elections of the 2020 Forum.

Following the presentation, a number of Members paid tribute to the excellent work and projects of the Forum and the impact it had on shaping the future of the Borough and how inspirational they were both to this Council and young people in general. The Leader of the Council remarked that as leaders themselves the Forum represented the ‘voice’ of young people in this Borough and as such he wanted to see them interacting more with the Council Cabinet meetings.

In summing up, the Chair said that every one of the Forum was a credit to both themselves, their families and the Borough and she thanked the representatives for their excellent presentation which the Assembly noted.