CARMARTHENSHIRE Youth Council celebrated their work over the past year at their AGM.

The AGM was held on Wednesday, June 28, coinciding with Youth Work Week (June 23-30). At the meeting, they highlighted the work from the last year and issues that have been affecting young people, as well as the positive achievements made by their peers.

Amongst the discussions, they highlighted successes such as their creation of a regional safeguarding video to train professionals, highlighting domestic abuse through their Never Silence the Violence project.

They also highlighted their work helping Carmarthenshire County Council to develop children’s rights resources for schools and youth projects and raising issues like the cost of living crisis at a local and national level, their involvement in the recent Estyn inspection of the council, recruitment and selection of staff as an equal stakeholder in interviews, working towards an ASDAN Councillors Shadowing Award and working closely with the council’s cabinet members.

The meeting was opened by Gareth Morgans, Carmarthenshire County Council’s education and children’s services director, and attended by members of the cabinet.

Lucas Palenek, 18, from Brechfa, is the Youth Council chairperson. Lucas said: “Our AGM 2023 is a special event, as we celebrate our twentieth anniversary.

“Established in 2003, the Youth Council has made significant progress over the last twenty years. The aim of the meeting is to share our work with everyone, including our short term and long-term projects, strengthening our strong connections and foundations that have enabled us to represent who we are today.

“After completing the first full year after the lockdown period, it has been an exceptional year for us to ensure that the voices of the youth forum from the county are heard on a local and national level, and therefore this is a chance for our achievements and efforts to be recognised and applauded last night.”

Cllr. Darren Price, leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “It is so important that our young people are engaged in the matters that affect them, their families and their communities as they are the decision-makers of tomorrow.

“Cabinet members have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Carmarthenshire Youth Council and we are proud of their work and excited about the achievements that are on the horizon for our future generation.”

Carmarthenshire Youth Council is made up of 42 young people aged between 11 and 21 from across the county. They have representation on the Welsh Youth Parliament and UK Youth Parliament with the aim to represent the views of young people on issues of relevance to them.