Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) from across the country met for their Annual Conference on Saturday the 26th – Sunday 27th October at Warwick University. There they had the opportunity to meet other MYPs and debate topics and policies which will go in the Youth Parliament Manifesto in December. Somerset’s MYPs Ellie Bealing, Emma Brown and James Lawson have written up their experiences of the weekend.
Saturday
Early on Saturday morning all of Somerset’s MYPs got up very early and took two trains to Warwick Parkway. The University of Warwick was our host for this year’s Annual Conference which was led by the National Youth Agency (NYA) team. As we arrived on campus, we saw long queues of other MYPs lining up to enter the conference hall. We started the day by getting our merch (lanyards, badges and t-shirts) and grabbing a drink before sitting down for the welcome ceremony; here we met the steering group, the CEO, events coordinator and many more important people! After receiving messages from the Director of Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sir Lyndsay Hoyle, we headed off into our different policy groups.
In our first policy groups, we debated all of the policies submitted by MYPs and formed the best statements to submit for presentation on Sunday. Ultimately, these policies will then be placed into our manifesto which will be released in December!
My first policy group was the Department for Health and Social Care. We debated many policies around areas like period dignity, eating disorders, mental health services and my own policy on social media! I had so much fun, and it was a great chance to meet other MYPs and learn about their campaigns.
We then had a second policy session, so everyone changed, and you were with a new group of people from all around the UK.
In my second group, the policies that we had to debate were around the Ministry of Defence and the Wales Office. I love this session as we had many very passionate debates.
After our policy sessions, we had some free time to view the campus, see our rooms for the night and most importantly get ready for the party!! Once we were all ready, we headed down from the hotel to the main hall where we had a buffet style dinner followed by a DJ set. Everyone was dancing!
At 10.00pm, everyone headed back to their rooms and got some well-deserved rest! I can’t wait for the next annual conference and our debate in the House of Commons!
Emma
Sunday
The morning started with breakfast, where MYPs could network and discuss their campaigns. One of the most important parts of the conference was speaking to like-minded young people. Everyone was so friendly, and our discussions with other young people gave us new perspectives on several topics.
When everyone had finished eating, we all met in the main conference building where we heard how the day would pan out. Up until leaving time, we were going to be debating and discussing all the submitted policies from the previous day. Members of the NYA would collate policies from departments, and then identify areas that contradict each other. It would then be up for MYPs to debate and vote on which of the policies summarised our views most. In the case of a close vote, there would be a count. The morning till lunch went incredibly well, with many MYPs getting involved in discussions. Sadly, not everyone got to speak, but in the time allotted, most people thought that it was successfully organised. The debates were the best part. Perspectives from all over the country merged to finalise the policies. I felt that most young people in the country were being represented. The diversity among the participating members was awesome.
It is essential that Youth Parliament continues to remain inviting for all, because minorities often find their voices muffled. The policy plenary session was paused for lunch, where more networking occurred. After lunch, the debates and votes were continued, which were slightly rushed but still carefully considered by the young people. However, in what felt like no time, it was time for everyone to leave. We had met so many amazing young people, so exiting the conference was slightly sad, but we knew that we had learned so much from everyone.
On the train back to Taunton, we had plenty of time to reflect on the event, especially when the train was delayed. The main thing I enjoyed about Sunday was witnessing the debate, because I could see a small snapshot of passion shared by fellow MYPs. I felt like the next annual conference, the policy plenary session should start earlier however, so more people could speak.
James
Overview
The Youth Parliament 2024 annual conference proved once again to be an important part of our role as MYPs, as we networked with young people from across the four nations to begin our drafted manifesto. Upon looking back on the filled events of the 2 days, it’s important to evaluate the highlights and learn from our experiences.
As with any previous annual conference, I most enjoyed being able to learn from those around me, with their unique insights and differing backgrounds. Now, when I look on my own campaign, I feel more equipped to use the initiatives and techniques of my fellow MYPs to achieve the best outcomes in Somerset. Perhaps the shining moment of the weekend for many, the party also proved a big hit, and really helped diffuse any sense of disconnect, with even the workers joining in with some dance moves! I find it useful to be able to draw upon my prior experiences on my second term, so the use of smaller, more focused groups on the Saturday which modelled government departments was a welcome change from before. It allowed more contributions and made sure that we were able to see a definite conclusion from our discussions, with drafted policy motions. I also can’t properly evaluate an event without mentioning the food, which was a big hit with all 3 of us MYPs, we never went hungry with the plentiful supply of biscuits and hot drinks!
I am grateful to be able to attend events like these, which do a brilliant job of reminding us of the wider scale of our work with Youth Parliament and of the importance of being given the opportunities to have space for youth voice. While the weekend led to some early mornings and even later nights, it was certainly worth it to feel a renewed sense of pride in our ability to make change and be educated by others and their vast contexts.
Ellie
Did you know that Somerset Youth Parliament isn’t just it’s elected members? Any young person in Somerset aged 10-25 years can become a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group.
For more information about becoming a member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group and to join, visit our Join Us page.
