Youth Council and Member of Youth Parliament

Information about the Westmorland and Furness Youth Council, its role in giving young people a voice, opportunities to get involved, and highlights from recent projects and events.

About Youth Council

Youth Council aims to be a representative group of young people aged 11-18 years who live, attend school or college or work within Westmorland and Furness.  

The Youth Council is funded and managed by Westmorland and Furness Council and has the support of Participation Workers.  

If you would like to find out more or join the group then please email rightsandparticipation.waf@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk and one of our workers (Lynne or Sarah) will get back in touch with you.

The role of Youth Councillor

As a youth councillor the role requires a level of commitment by young people to attend regular meetings and work towards delivering projects, either themselves or in partnership with other organisations, to address issues identified by the youth council as their priorities for the year ahead. 

In addition, youth councillors are often asked to provide a ‘youth voice’ to officials, including partner organisations, who request guidance on documents designed for young people. The range of requests includes conducting consultations and can include sitting on interview panels.  

Youth Councillors are also given the opportunity to train as Young Inspectors.

Youth Parliament

In Westmorland and Furness we have one Member of Youth Parliament. The elections for the new member of Youth Parliament will take place in March 2026.

2025 events

Here are some of the key highlights and achievements from 2025:

  • Attended YOFO events
  • MYP visit to Houses of Parliament
  • Created BLINK magazine
  • Created Bookmarks to promote awareness of neurodivergence