|
The Panel inside the Council Chamber at New Forest District Council headquarters at Appletree Court |
|
|
Young people made sure their voices were heard loud and clear at the New Forest's first ever Shout About event held on Friday 15th October 2004.
Over 40 young people from all across the district called for cheaper and more frequent public transport, more leisure activities after school, and tougher action on bullying at the event, which aimed to give young people more of a say in shaping local services.
They also wanted schools to pass on more information about local events, services and opportunities.
The young people put their views to a panel of key decision makers in the council chamber at New Forest District Council's headquarters as part of New Forest District Council's Year of Youth and Local Democracy Week 2004.
The event was organised by the Hampshire County Council Youth Service in association with New Forest District Council and Connexions South Central.
The young people's key concerns will be presented to New Forest District Council's full council on Monday October 25 th October and will also be disseminated to all the key organisations in the Forest in the coming weeks.
Instant feedback came from New Forest District Council's Cllr Barry Rickman, portfolio holder for leisure, who promised to have a young person's representative on each of the focus groups for the council's fitness and leisure centres.
Cllr Rickman also said he would look into the possibility of providing more activities at fitness centres at the end of the school day.
Paul Hartigan, Operations Manager for the Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, also told the conference about two new schemes, Bus ID and Bus ID +, which will entitle young people up to ages 16 and 18 respectively to half price travel on the company's buses.
Leaflets about the schemes will be distributed in schools in the next few weeks.
New Forest District Council's Chairman Cllr Lt Col Mike Shand, who hosted the event, said he was impressed by the young people's enthusiasm and commitment.
"The response of the young people was very positive. They did not just see it as a fun day out, but as a way of debating issues that are important to young people and of getting their views across.
They all took the task seriously and came up with some good ideas and suggestions.
It was also helpful for managers from key agencies in the New Forest to listen to young people's concerns.
I am sure that the outcomes of the day will help to shape services in the long term."
Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Education, Councillor Don Allen, said: "New Forest Shout About is a prime example of agencies working together to enable young people to explore opportunities available to them, and question service providers in a supportive environment.
I applaud the efforts of New Forest District Council, our Youth Service and Connexions who have developed this event - which contributes to both the New Forest's Year of Youth and Local Democracy Week."
Panel members were:-
-
Arif Isikgun
Member of UK Youth Parliament for the New Forest and Test Valley South area
-
Cllr Don Allen
Executive Member for Education, Hampshire County Council.
- Alison Foster
District Co-ordinator - New Forest Connexions South Central
- Pam Charlwood
Chief Executive, Connexions South Central.
- Dr Bob Coates
Director of Public Health, New Forest Primary Care Trust.
- David Yates
Chief Executive New Forest District Council
(Standing in for Cllr Peter Greenfield - Portfolio Holder for Housing)
- Paul Hartigan
Operations Manager, Wilts and Dorset Bus Company.
- Paul Hibberd
Forest Ranger, Forestry Commission.
- Cllr Barry Rickman
Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Deputy Leader, New Forest District Council
- Supt Barry Talbot
Hampshire Constabulary.
- Pete Marsh
Deputy Youth Officer, Hampshire County Council Youth Service.
Further information about Bus ID and Bus ID+ is available on 01202 673555.
|
Broadband |
56K Modem |
|
|
3 Students from Arnewood School
Running Time – 1 min 17 sec |
|
|
Teenagers from Colors Youth Club with
Caroline Davis (Youth Worker)
Running Time – 3 min 24 sec |
|
|
Interview with David Atwill
(Head of Public Relations and Media)
at New Forest District Council
Running Time – 36 sec |
|
|
More Students from other forest Schools including Testwood School
Running Time – 2 min 12 sec |
|
|
Winner 1 Text it Competition
Interview with Cllr Mike Shand, Chairman of NFDC Aspiring Politician
Running Time – 3 min 9 sec |
|
|
Statements from Workshops read by the young people in the chamber
Running Time – 3 min 13 sec |
|
|
How do your organisations help and support young people with unseen issues, for example: mental health?
Speakers are:-
Dr Bob Coates and Pam Charlwood
Running Time – 3 min 30 sec |
|
|
How do you tackle issues around underage drinking and do you think health education in schools is as important as academic achievement?
Speakers are:-
Dr Bob Coates, Supt Barry Talbot
Running Time – 4 min 29 sec
|
|
|
Why is transport in the New Forest District so expensive?
Speaker:-
Paul Hartigan
Running Time – 2 min 14 sec
|
|
|
Could schools be linked to local sports centres and be given subsidised use of their facilities immediately after school and at weekends?
Speaker:-
Cllr Barry Rickman
Running Time – 35 sec
|
|
|
How are you improving information and advice and counselling services to young people?
Speakers are:-
Alison Foster and David Yates
Running Time – 3 min 15 sec
|
|
|
How can your organisation help improve communication on environmental issues within your area?
Speaker:-
Paul Hibberd
Running Time – 1min 26 sec
|
|
|
Why are so many places for young children to do activities and things but only one activity type centre and youth clubs for us? and We would like to see more things like parks, skate parks and activity centres for our age group and more information about where they exist
Speakers are:-
Pete Marsh and Cllr Barry Rickman
Running Time – 1 min 44 sec |
|
|
How are you going to make it easier for us to get information about housing homelessness if we need it?
Speakers are:-
David Yates, Dr Bob Coates and Alison Foster
Running Time – 2 min 46 sec |
|
|
Do you think in the future we will be able to see more police people patrolling in and around the main towns and cities with problems?
Speaker:-
Supt Barry Talbot
Running Time – 3 min 1 sec
|
|
|
Would you be able to integrate your leisure providers with PSE (Personal and Social Education) lessons in school?
Speaker:-
Cllr Barry Rickman
Running Time –19 sec |
|
|
Why does the Council put up "No Ball Signs" when they don't replace the area that they stop people playing in?
Speaker:-
David Yates
Running Time – 1 min 12 sec |
|
|
Children are still children in school at 18; we'd like to ask why there is such a jump between child and adult prices and why we are seen as adults at 16 for transport but as adults at 18 in law? and We are still children legally in law and we study in years 12 and 13 in sixth form, so technically we are still at school, why don't those fares apply to us as well, because there are many sixth formers in this room?
Speaker:-
Paul Hartigan
Running Time – 3 min 47 sec |
|
|
What are the councils’ plans for a hostel for young people needing accommodation like the Foyer Project offering advice and opportunities as well as a roof?
Speaker:-
David Yates
Running Time – 1 min 27 sec
|
|
|
We do not believe that there is enough support for young people that are being bullied in school, is there anything to change that?
Speaker:-
Cllr Don Allen
Running Time – 1 min 3 sec |
|
|
Can you provide more after school activities for young people such as home work clubs, sex, drugs, alcohol talk sessions, and counselling services?
Speakers are:-
Cllr Don Allen, Dr Bob Coates and Alison Foster
Running Time – 2 min 37 sec |
|
|
Why can’t we have more places for 13 - 19 year olds outside school hours, they are exciting and challenging or at least warm and dry in more local communities?
Speaker:-
Pete Marsh
Running Time – 1 min 32 sec |
|
|
How are the changes in Connexions going to improve their information and advice?
Speaker:-
Pam Charlwood
Running Time – 1 min 32 sec |
|
|
What action is being done to secure our environment for the future?
Speakers are:-
Paul Hibberd, David Yates and Cllr Don Allen
Running Time – 4 min 25 sec |
|
|
How will the issues raised today be publicised to the wider community?
Speaker:-
Dr Bob Coates
Running Time – 1 min 15 sec |
|
|
What can you do to make young people feel more welcome in leisure facilities?
Speaker:-
Cllr Barry Rickman
Running Time – 1 min 38 sec |
|
|
When and where will we be able to get the ID cards? and So will schools give us the application forms?
Speaker:-
Paul Hartigan
Running Time – 1 min 46 sec |
|
|
I am at Totton College and we have contracts with Marchwood Motorways to deliver a bus service to bring people up from the Waterside to the college, these people are paying £240 for the bus pass for one year, to travel on average of about 10 miles, we’ve calculated it in our session - £17,000. Can the panel help as £17,000 is going to the company to provide a service, which we calculated costs about £6,000 for fuel and drivers etc?
Speaker:-
Paul Hartigan
Running Time – 3 min 5 sec |
|
|
Can you tell me about information about improvements to advertising for recreation facilities in the New Forest area? and What are you doing to improve communications between this council and the schools, because recently there’s been stuff going on but no one at our school has known about it?
Speakers are:-
Cllr Barry Rickman and David Yates
Running Time – 2 min 26 sec |
|
|
Its been an excellent opportunity today to put our views forward, but events like “shout about” simply can not happen very frequently, I’d like to know how young people can get their opinions heard and assurances that they will be given fair consideration? and Where are the contact numbers for us to get in touch with all the organisations?
Includes the 2 nd Text it competition winner, and thanks from Michael Bailey
Speakers are:-
Alison Foster, Arif Isikgun, Cllr Mike Shand and Michael Bailey
Running Time – 6 min 13 sec |
|
|
New Forest District Council “Full Council” meeting, held on Monday 25 th October 2004 invited some of the young people from the “Shout About” event to attend the meeting and inform the councillors of their concerns which were highlighted throughout the day in the workshops and the meeting with the panellists
Running Time – 38 min 31 sec |
|
|
|
