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Plymouth elects 2 members of the Youth Parliament every year.

As you may already be aware, the two new MYP’s and two new deputy MYP’s were elected for Plymouth at the end of January. Since this time, the MYP’s; Charlotte Collins and Hayley Trower, along with deputies; Siobhan Miller and Charles Howley have decided upon what they want to achieve during their time in office. The four have already set to work on achieving three main points that they have agreed for the year.

These three points include:

• improving sexual health education in schools across Plymouth by standardising the syllabus
• improving the youth music scene in Plymouth by promoting and providing music events and venues
• improving public transport for young people in Plymouth by helping them to help the bus companies

Although these three main points have been set out by the MYP’s and DMYP’s as what they feel is important to young people in Plymouth, most if not all of these points are also issues for MYP’s in other areas across the South West region. In particular, improving public transport is a big issue among many MYP’s across the region and so various debates and discussions on the issue have been held with Plymouth’s MYP’s and DMYP’s attending.

As a follow up to regional debates, Plymouth’s MYP’s and DMYP’s have had meetings with local bus companies to further discuss improvements to public transport across Plymouth with both ‘City Bus’ and ‘First’ bus companies being involved.

More recently, the MYP’s and DMYP’s have met with representatives from the Eddystone trust who have shown interest in working with them to help with their campaign to improve sexual health education in schools across Plymouth. As well as this, the MYP’s and DMYP’s are planning a MYP surgery to promote their work as well as recruit like minded young people to help them with their campaigns in Plymouth.

Statement from Hayley Trower MYP

"I feel that the Central Park ‘Life Centre’ scheme will be hugely beneficial to the future of Plymouth as a city as well as the future Plymouth’s youth. By creating a space that will not only entertain, but educate young people in Plymouth, it will create many opportunities in the city for young people to feel that they can have a place to go where they can realise their sporting, academic and creative potential.

I feel that without this superb opportunity, many young people will be denied a chance to develop various life skills and Plymouth will be left being poorly equipped in the way of public facilities compared with other expanding cities across the country. With Plymouth as a developing and ever improving city, it is vital that with these developments, the youth do not get left behind, as they are the future and so should be invested in.This development is exactly what Plymouth has been waiting for, as for years young people have been complaining that Plymouth is boring and there is never anything to do.

I personally am most excited about the sound studios and musical rehearsal spaces that have been included in the design, as improving the music scene for young people in Plymouth is something that as a politician and an individual I am very passionate about. I will be signing the petition for the support of the development and I urge others to do the same, because without the ‘Life Centre’, Plymouth and its youth will be at a great disadvantage and we will never know what could be achieved by any one of them if they were only given the opportunity."

Hayley Trower MYP

Want to find out more?

For more details, to find out how to get involved and your voice heard or to give us ideas of how we can involve your views please contact the Youth Participation Team on 01752 306596 or email us ukyp@plymouth.gov.uk.