OYC Meeting Minutes – 10/01/2024

INAUGURAL MEETING PREPARATION (CHRIS)

Next week (17th Jan), new youth councillors will join the team. Chris expressed gratitude to Tom for staying behind during the count, until 9:30 pm, making him the last person present.

With over 10,000 people voting, elections did not take place in the Oldham Central district due to a shortage of candidates. However, Chris mentioned that a few more individuals from the Oldham Central district have been accepted or are in the process of being co-opted from schools lacking representation in that district. This initiative aims to ensure representation from all schools. This means that 40 new youth councillors will commence their roles at the next meeting.

The primary goal for the upcoming week is to familiarize the new youth councillors with the system, encourage them to get to know each other, and help them settle in. The agenda for the week includes:

• A speech by Vice Chair, Chair and Youth Mayor
• Getting to know your youth worker
• Speed dating
• A Blooket session about OYC
• A “World’s Greatest” activity

Participants were organized into groups to discuss each element and generate content for the upcoming events.

POLICE QUESTIONS (CHRIS)

Next Tuesday, Operation Avro is scheduled, during which GMP will be actively involved in various activities within Oldham. The agenda for the day includes a Youth Scrutiny Panel and a Q&A session. In preparation for these discussions, youth councillors have been organized into groups to formulate questions for senior figures such as a police officer and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Kate Green, along with councillors like Cllr Goodwin, focusing on neighborhood-related issues.

In their respective groups, the youth councillors have generated six questions that cover a range of topics related to neighborhoods. These questions aim to engage the senior figures and contribute to a constructive dialogue during the upcoming Operation Avro activities.

MAKE YOUR MARK (CHRIS)

This part of the meeting did not run.

EVENTS AND TRIPS (CHRIS)

• Tue 16 Jan 2024, 5:30pm to 6:30pm – Youth Scrutiny Panel of GMP, which will include watching body cam footage of stops & searches, and use of force, with young people discussing what could be done better. Refreshments are available from 5pm.
• Tue 16 Jan 2024, from 6:30pm – Youth Q&A panel with the police – see “Police Questions” section
• Thu 18 Jan 2024, 6pm to 8pm – Overview and Scrutiny panel – part on affordable places for young people to go
• Sat 20 Jan 2024, 9am to 5pm – YouthForia in Knowsley

AOB (CHAIR)

Zaynab; videos – the content creators made a video aimed to new youth councillors which will be sent out. Current youth councillors received this via WhatsApp, to check the quality and give feedback.