YOUNG people have made their voices heard at an event to help influence decision-makers in the region.
Students from Northallerton School and Sixth Form College took part in the North Yorkshire County Council Youth Voice conference, held at the Pavilion, Harrogate, alongside guest speaker, writer and poet Lemn Sissay.
The event, attended by hundreds of students and youth council representatives from across North Yorkshire, offered young people the opportunity put their views to representatives from the police, education services, local authorities and other organisations.
Delegates took part in workshops and activities as well as visiting a market place of organisations offering support and opportunities, including the Barnardo’s Positive Identities Service, Compass Reach and the North Yorkshire Youth Service.
Northallerton School and Sixth Form College student voice pastoral lead Christine Brayshaw said: “This is the second time that we have taken a delegation of students to the North Yorkshire County Council Youth Voice Conference.
“It is a great opportunity for them to meet other students, develop their leadership skills and broaden their minds to events and opportunities available all around them.
“It was especially beneficial to our young sixth form leaders who came away with loads of information, not just on local issues but on matters that affect everyone, which they could then disseminate to our younger students in school.”
Sixth form students Thea Crocker, Hattie Pepper, Ryan Milner and Luke Breckon, Year 10 student Daniel Gapik and Year 9 representatives Matthew Hodgeson and Daniel Ward took part in workshops including Refugee Voices, UK Parliament, Developing Young Leaders, Mental Health Services, Working with Asylum Seeking Children and Raising Awareness of LGBGTQ.
Chair of the Northallerton School and Sixth Form College Student Leadership Team Thea Crocker was also asked to address the entire conference on the work of the SLT.
Hattie, 17, of Northallerton, added: “It was so interesting just to talk to different people and find out exactly what is happening in all the different organisations.
“I enjoyed attending the different workshops which provided really good information on a whole range of issues that are really pertinent to young people today.
“It was also good to meet other like-minded people, to try to help assist change by giving our own views and make sure that our voices were heard.”