Bolton Youth Council is a diverse group of young people aged 13-19 years old, who are actively involved in making decisions in the Borough of Bolton. We work with lots of different services, groups and organisations to make sure that young people are able to shape and influence decisions that concern our lives.

In order to link people into the community and becoming interested in democracy, we have worked with Councillors in Bolton and created events, campaigns and been involved in projects, such as the:

• annual Local Democracy Week Speed Rating Event - to get young people to consult together about issues that affect their lives

• Youth Vision conference for young people - encouraging young people to have a voice in the 2030 vision for Bolton and presented to the adults Vision Conference in which they successfully lead a 30 minute session to the participants
• newly formed YCA (Youth Combined Authority) meeting in Manchester - to help young people in Bolton have a voice within Greater Manchester and have an influence on policy and campaigns for young people
• working with the Head of Service Public Health Strategy Team with commissioning of the  0-19 service - the young people were given the opportunity to take part in the consultation to say how they feel what the service should concentrate on

Ella Tinniswood, aged 13, from Westhoughton, and Jonathan Owen, aged 15, from Hall i'th' Wood are the Youth MP’s for Bolton. As part of their roles, they will be responsible for:

• finding out the concerns, interests and needs of other young people in Bolton, and discuss these at local, regional and national levels
  meeting with MPs, Councillors, and key decision makers
• attending regional meetings and sit with the UK Youth Parliament in the House of Commons once a year

They will be deputised by Molly McDermott, from Bolton St Catherine’s Academy, and Nat Entwistle, from Thornleigh Salesian College.

Healthy Minds Youth Project is an action group of young people aged 13 - 19 years old. It is delivered in partnership with Bolton Council Play & Youth Service and Bolton CAMHS, focusing on:

• consulting and raising an awareness of the stigma that is attached to young people and their mental and emotional health
• an anti-stigma campaign  #Bekindtomymind

Healthy Minds Youth Project are also working in partnership with Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to develop a poster campaign across Bolton to combat stigma. They also invite guest speakers to the sessions; this has included XenZone – an online counselling and emotional well-being platform.

How to join

To get involved with the Healthy Minds Project, you can contact ciara.steele@bolton.gov.uk, text 07813 692583 or turn up at the session which meets at Castle Hill Centre on the 1st Tuesday of every month.

Voice 4 U is a Children in Care Council for young people aged 13-19 years old who are the voice of young people who are looked after in Bolton. They meet regularly to discuss issues around young people who are looked after. Their role includes:

• working with decision makers to influence changes
• outreach work so that they can meet with young people outside of the group about topics that are being looked at within the action group

They have:

• designed and created a new Corporate Parenting Badge to highlight to young people who their corporate parents are
• presented these officers, elected members, social workers, designated LAC teachers and Education Learning Mentors within the council
• attended a North West Children in Care Conference to have a voice about looked after young people regionally - this was a great event in which they got a chance to feedback positives and concerns to Ofsted Officers and colleagues from the Children's Commissioners Office