Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kyle Savage welcomed young people and leaders from the newly established ABC Youth Voice to the Council Chamber on Tuesday (15 October) to participate in Local Democracy Week.
Council’s Community Development and Community Planning Departments are working in partnership with the Education Authority’s Youth Service to support the group of young people, aged 16 to 19 years old, in the ‘Youth Voice’ project.
The theme for Tuesday’s event was “Local communities putting democratic resilience at the forefront” and members of ABC Youth Voice had the opportunity to learn how Council operates as well as ask questions to a number of our elected representatives.
Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Kyle Savage commented:
“I think I speak for my colleagues when I say that events such as this one are invaluable as we as local representatives get to hear first-hand from our future voters what it is that they want to see from their councillors in their local communities.”
“The Council has always been a strong supporter of Local Democracy Week as an initiative which helps bring local democracy closer to the people that we as councillors serve – our local citizens.”
Jake McCourt, member of ABC Youth Voice said, “This event is a fantastic opportunity for young people to work with our Council to ensure that the voices of young people are being promoted, are being fulfilled, and being taken into consideration.”
The ABC Youth Voice event took place as part of Local Democracy Week which is an annual initiative designed to foster the knowledge of local democracy and promote the idea of democratic participation at a local level.
Elected representatives who attended the event included Councillor Clare McConville-Walker, Councillor Peter Haire, Councillor Kate Evans, Councillor Peter Lavery, Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon, and Councillor Keith Ratcliffe.
The event was part funded by The Executive Office District Council Good Relations Programme.
