skip navigation to main content
Do Politics

Case studies

Young people

This section provides you with some ideas to help you promote electoral awareness in your area for young people.

Don't forget to look at our toolbox and how to...files for resources on promoting public awareness.

Carmarthenshire County Council

This local council initiative was aimed at young people in the run up to the 2004 local elections. Adverts promoting the elections were placed in local publications and in the council's community news. The council also wrote to each secondary school and to the main further education college in the area offering sessions and workshops that focused on:

  • what the county council does
  • all about local representatives
  • why is it important to vote
  • how to get on the electoral register

The message was put across by numerous presentations, videos, and practical activities in which young people would assume responsibility for a certain portfolio and argue the case for an increase in budget for certain projects.

A pack was also produced comprising t-shirts, bookmarks, coasters, banners and door hangers as well as general information on the work of the local council. This was distributed to each young person involved in workshops.

Birthday cards from the Chief Executive of the Council were also distributed to young people in the county on turning 18.

Organisers of the scheme found that there was a significant lack of knowledge among young people on issues such as the functions of the county council, the size of its budget and who represented them. Despite this young people were eager to debate both local and national issues and were deeply concerned with matters that had an impact on their day-to-day lives. The local council aimed to establish a link in the minds of activity participants between such issues and casting a vote.

Carmarthenshire County Council also had a presence at a number of high profile conferences and events across the county in an attempt to spread this message outside the classroom. One such event was the Carmarthenshire Young Farmers Convention, which saw thousands of young people from across the county descending on the Three Counties Showground in Carmarthen.

Under normal circumstances the County Council would look to take a small stand along with a relatively low profile but on this occasion a big emphasis was placed on promoting the elections. Council officials were out among the young people talking about the importance of the upcoming elections and distributing free information and giveaways.

Overall budget: £7,000

Number of people working on the project: up to 10

For more information on running a similar event contact Peter Jones, Deputy Acting Returning Officer and Statutory Services Manager, at Carmarthenshire County Council, email: pjjones@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Back to top

West Lothian Council: pupil council elections

On 12 October 2006, pupils at the Deans Community High School in Livingston participated in pupil council elections. The election attracted a turnout of 82%.

The aim of the pupil council is to provide young people with the opportunity to become active citizens so they can help shape and develop their school. It also gives young people the opportunity to engage in wider decision making processes in the community and with the local council as well as other agencies.

The election reflected those held for parliamentary and local elections using ballot papers and polling booths to resemble a polling station as much as possible. In advance of STV being used in the local elections in Scotland, and to educate young people about this system, the pupil council elections were held using this method.

Polling day for the pupil council election began at 9am and closed at 12:45pm with the results called at 1:25pm. The election attracted a turnout of 82% with 700 of a potential 854 voters voting. The highest turnout of just over 90% was among those in S1 year and the lowest in S5.

As illustrated by the comments from the young people as they were leaving the polls, the election experience was viewed positively:

  • Fun, not hard  polling booths cool
  • You don't vote you cant complain
  • Good that you took it serious as it made us take it seriously
  • Secret ballot was good  better than hand up in a class
  • Felt like an adult, makes me want to vote when I'm 18!

Timeline: Initial negotiations with the school occurred at the end June although main bulk of work commenced later at the beginning of September.  

Overall budget: Staffing costs and running costs (photocopying and ballot boxes) were absorbed by the Council. Lunch and refreshments for the elected representatives and tutors on training day £250

Number of people working on the project: 10 staff plus an extra nine senior students on polling day.

Useful tools: General notes about the day, a preliminary analysis and timetable and resources.

For more information on how to run a similar project contact name Stuart Moir, Senior Community Education Worker Youth Participation at West Lothian Council, email: Stuart.Moir@westlothian.gov.uk

Back to top

South Somerset District Council: create a councillor

South Somerset District Council ran a Local Democracy Day which was aimed at informing young people of the role of an elected member, as well as showing them the importance of democracy and how it affects them locally and nationally. Students from across the district were involved in designing a councillor.

They used various objects to build their ideal councillor which they then presented to the rest of the group. They also portrayed the councillors qualities and what makes them a good elected member. Students then voted for their favourite councillor and the school who created the councillor with the most votes won the Democracy Day Shield. Other activities which took place on the day included People Bingo, a quiz, and Another Brick in the Wall.

The students also had a chance to meet real councillors and ask them about their role as a member. They were also asked questions about who they thought makes decisions and who does what in the council.

Over the course of the day the students were also made aware of the local elections occurring in May 2007 and the work of South Somerset District Council. The chairman of the Council  visited the successful school to present the Democracy Shield. For the past two years over 60 young people attended each event.

The Council also hosts a Schools Debate each year and visits schools to raise awareness of elections and wider democratic issues.

Timeline: The event should take no longer than a week to arrange.

Overall budget: Minimum budget of £1,000 included hire of hall, refreshments, prizes and staff time etc.

Number of people working on the project: Up to six people.

Useful tools: Press release

For more information on running a similar event contact Lyn Locker, email: Lyn.Locker@somerset.gov.uk or Stewart Willes, email: Stewart.Willes@somerset.gov.uk, at Somerset District Council

Back to top

Derby City Council: Your City  Your Voice

Building on the success of the 2005 Your City Your Voice 'panel game' for elected members and young people, Derby City Council ran Your City Your Voice 2 in 2006. 
 
Eleven teams of young people representing schools and community groups took part in the event. There were six rounds in the game and in each round a panel of seven elected members was asked a question posed by local young people. The panel members had no prior knowledge of the questions and they each had only two minutes in which to answer them. After each round the teams scored the members answers and the member with the lowest score was sent to the relegation bench. 

The event was organised by the Overview and Scrutiny Team and compered by David Finn, the Head of the Youth Service.  After each round he asked the teams to give their feedback on the answers they had heard.  As might be expected, the teams feedback was honest, considered, and at times quite brutally direct. A cliff hanger sixth round between Councillors Bolton and Smalley resulted in Councillor Smalley being declared the winner and Theresa Michel, the Osnabruck Envoy presented him with his Winners Certificate.

The 44 young people who took part in the event were presented with music vouchers by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Evonne Williams, who coincidently won the debut event in 2005. 

Feedback about the event has been very positive. Everyone who was involved considered it to be a great success and an excellent opportunity for young people to interact with their local representatives.

Timeline: Ideally five to six months to account for the school summer holidays if undertaking during the autumn term. 

Overall budget:
Council chamber  free
Web-cast  free
Provide gifts £10 HMV token (£440)
Refreshments depends on what catering
Decorating the room £70
The rest of the costs such as photocopying were absorbed locally
Resources from the authority

Number of people working on the project: 100 people hours in total

Useful tools: Recordings of your city your voice 1 (2005) or your city your voice 2 (2006)

For more information on running a similar event contact Katherine Taylor at Derby City Council, email: Katherine.Taylor@derby.gov.uk.

Back to top

 

 

e-newsletter