With a strong background in children’s rights and advocacy, a group of us travelled to Brighton last weekend to represent Scotland at one of the country’s largest youth events.
More than 300 elected Members of the UK Youth Parliament gathered at the University of Sussex to discuss a range of issues affecting young people’s lives across the four nations, such as accessing adequate mental health services, improving public transport reliability, and revising policies around youth work.
Iain Prestwell, Daniela Onyewuenyi, Islay Jackson, Sophie Kerrigan, Jamie Dickson, Amna Ansar, Catriona Daw, Jordana Rae, and Kristers Lukins MSYPs were involved in several Committee Sessions over the two days. Since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is embedded in Scottish law, we were able to bring real-life examples of what the implementation of youth-led policies looks like.
Islay, who’s the MSYP for Glasgow Anniesland, talked about how the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme has helped young people in Scotland travel across areas free of charge, making it easier to access education and leisure activities. She said:
“The fact that anyone under 22 can take advantage of free travel is a testament to the Scottish Youth Parliament’s commitment to working with decision-makers on creating opportunities for young people to participate fully in society.
This policy was one of the key things we’re proud to highlight at the UK Youth Parliament Conference, and we look forward to continuing to liaise with other Members of the Youth Parliament to share ideas and empower every young person across the UK.”
Members of the Youth Parliament also reflected on the positive impacts of lowering the voting age at a UK level, following Westminster’s announcement just a week before the conference. You can read our stance on this news here.
The UK Youth Parliament Annual Conference was organised by the National Youth Agency, and further information can be found here.
