OYC Meeting Minutes – 13/12/2023

MAKE YOUR MARK – LOCAL ISSUES (CHRIS)

Chris shared a list that covered everything we talked about in the last meeting, including the descriptions we discussed. He walked us through each item, checking if the wording was okay.

After that, we Youth Councillors voted on our top issues from the 20 items. The goal was to trim the list down to 10 items that would go on the ballot.

After the break, it turned out that 12 topics got the most votes, and there was a 4-way tie for the bottom spots. So, we had to discuss it again and bring it down to 10 topics.

SPECIAL GUEST (???)

An appearance of Santa Clause arrived to give presents as a thank you to youth council, as well as evaluating the successes of the youth council, such as the successful motions to Oldham Council.

INAUGURAL MEETING OF NEW YOUTH COUNCILLORS (CHRIS)

Youth councillors were planning for the first meeting with the new Youth Councillors. In the last priorities meeting, youth councillors were thinking of kicking things off with a welcoming speech, introductions, and some additional info. Originally, this was supposed to be our priorities meeting on the 17th of January, but we had to switch it up because of a clash with the Poland event. We’ll have up to two meetings early in the new year to hash out the details.

This means the inaugural meeting will be on Wednesday the 17th of January 2024 with the first official meeting doing work will be on Wednesday the 24th of January 2024.

Due to this change in schedule, here’s how the internal election cycle is shaping up:

• Last meeting of February – Vice Chair Elections
• First meeting of March – Representatives Elections
• Second meeting of March – Officer Elections

Support staff were also planning a residential session, exclusively for the new youth councillors, where they’ll share important information. Keep in mind, though, that this is just a provisional plan.

EVENTS AND TRIPS (CHRIS)

There are not many upcoming events, though Chris gathered everyone’s opinions on both the “Tallships” trip which can only take 2 youth councillors at most if we chose to participate, and a potential visit of the Lambeth Youth Council in London, as they have invited us. Youth councillors were in favour of both of this.

AOB (CHAIR)

Chris – thanked people who are leaving the youth council at the end of the term.

Charlotte (our Youth Mayor) – checked in with the Youth Councillors to see if they were interested in updates, and it turns out they are. Here’s a quick rundown of what she shared:

• November 2nd: Y7 enterprise day at Radcliffe, complete with powerpoints.
• November 12th: Participated in Remembrance activities, laying a wreath on behalf of young people.
• November 17th: Attended the annual celebration evening and speech night at Blue Coat.
• November 27th: Presented at the Brian Clarke assembly.
• December 1st: Contributed to the CHS assembly.
• December 2nd: Attended the 341 charity ball.
• December 10th: Took part in the Oldham concert.

Andrew – brought up a serious issue he noticed in Oldham during the meeting. Last week, he was out trying to catch the tram and witnessed people pushing, shoving, and using foul language, including discriminatory words. He asked if the Youth Council would be interested in doing something about it. The conversation then turned to the dissatisfaction of young people at Barrier Breakers with the misuse of derogatory words. Chris pointed out that while it may not fall directly under the Model Youth Meeting (MYM) jurisdiction, he suggested that Barrier Breakers take the lead and seek support from the Youth Council.

Demi – echoed Andrew’s concerns, attributing the problem to a lack of education and the environment young people are in, particularly among 12 and 13-year-olds. She also mentioned that even some college students are using inappropriate language.

Leah – chimed in, emphasising that even though the Youth Council might not have the power to directly address the issue, young people should stand up against offensive language in public spaces.

Zaynab – noted that while education and intervention can help, there will always be a few individuals who continue to use offensive language. Chris suggested a campaign focused on challenging students engaged in such behavior.

Leah – remained optimistic, acknowledging the progress made in reducing the casual use of offensive language, especially racial slurs.

Joey – discussed the issue about changing an entire culture, highlighting the challenge of altering a generation’s cultural norms. He suggested the need for broader outreach beyond Oldham. Chris clarified that Barrier Breakers would lead the campaign, and the Youth Council wouldn’t directly dictate a campaign it’s not actively involved in, so it is not something we need to worry about.

Ali – added that teachers play a crucial role and shared an alternate approach taken at her school, where they had a school-wide assembly addressing the issue and discouraging the use of offensive language.