North Somerset Youth Parliament Backs Campaign to Save UK Youth Parliament
By Oliver Masley, 16, Member of Youth Parliament for North Somerset
North Somerset’s Youth Parliament has unanimously backed a campaign to save the UK Youth Parliament, following the announcement that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will no longer fund it from March 2027.
The decision came during North Somerset’s local Youth Parliament meeting on Tuesday evening, which was the first time they had met in full since their summer break.
The agenda included reforming their subgroups, securing the backing of adults, and welcoming new members.
However, one item that wasn’t on the agenda was the overwhelming passion from young people around recent headlines about the Department for Culture, Media and Sport no longer funding the UK Youth Parliament, starting in March 2027.
This has sparked much uncertainty and concern among young people across the country, many of whom see the announcement as the start of many more about taking away the voice that young people have in their communities.
This includes areas such as North Somerset, whose local youth governance body does not rely on the UK Youth Parliament, with North Somerset Council committed to funding its work.
Nigel Dando
In response to the announcement, North Somerset’s young people expressed their determination to back a campaign started by the UK Youth Parliament’s steering group, ‘Save UKYP’, and are looking to write to politicians and changemakers, as well as work on their own project to support the campaign, in a hopeful attempt to ensure the future of the body.
As previously mentioned, North Somerset Youth Parliament (NSYP) is not directly involved with the UK Youth Parliament.
However, they are responsible for electing North Somerset’s Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs), which they did for the first time earlier this year, giving the area a seat at the national table.
NSYP representatives expressed their frustration that the platform at which they could amplify their concerns could be taken away so quickly, so voted unanimously to commit to fighting for the cause after an unexpected but strongly impassioned and well-articulated debate.
If you would like to learn more about the campaign, visit: https://linktr.ee/Save_UKYP?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
Or follow @olivermasleymyp on Instagram to learn about North Somerset's work!
