Cabinet Call: You're Never too Young to Get Involved with Democracy
Posted on 11 January 2019
Written by Cllr Tracey Carter, South Holland District Council portfolio holder for Governance and Customer.
Encouraging participation and engagement in our work and the world of local democracy is a key objective for myself, other councillors and council staff, and one way we are seeking to further our work in this area in 2019 is through continuing our work with South Holland's schools.
In November we welcomed pupils from Ayscoughfee Hall School into the Council Chamber for the morning, working with councillors and officers from our democratic services team to learn more about the voting process and the responsibilities and day to day life of being a councillor.
We have also talked about helping with courses on public speaking, something all our councillors are very familiar with, as well as the opportunity to share our personal experiences with being a councillor - and in my case being a female in politics.
I know when I was at school I would have relished the opportunity to visit and experience a piece of local government and see how a meeting was held and those processes played out. The chance to have a hands-on experience of democracy provides a longer lasting memory than textbooks and classroom discussions and allows them to directly ask questions about our work and ambitions.
It is important that everyone knows that you are never too young to be active and interested in politics, on an international, national or local level. Those too young to vote yet can still make their voices heard by contacting their local councillors with questions or suggestions. Democracy impacts every aspect of our lives, no matter your age, and our interactions with residents influences the way councillors and officers of councils like South Holland make decisions and deliver our services.
Whilst the voting age is 18, you can sign up to the electoral register at 16 to make sure you use your democratic rights at every opportunity. It is so important that the right to vote is exercised, as just one person can make all the difference, and that is why participation and engagement are so crucial.
We would love to work with any school in South Holland, primary or secondary, who feel that we could provide their pupils with a new and exciting experience. Our democratic services team are happy to speak to any schools who are interested in visiting or working with the council, and can arrange a session with content and length tailored to make sure they get the most out of it possible. You can call them on 01775 761161 or email demservices@sholland.gov.uk.