Young Voices, Big Ideas
Meet the Cherry Orchard Youth Service Youth Council
This year marks an exciting new chapter for Cherry Orchard Youth Service with the launch of our very first Youth Council – a group of passionate, enthusiastic young people who are helping shape the future of our service.
The Youth Council is all about giving young people a genuine voice. Rather than adults making all the decisions, we’re creating opportunities for young people to share their ideas, highlight the issues that matter most to them, and play an active role in planning activities, programmes and events. After all, who knows what young people need better than young people themselves?
Being part of the Youth Council is about much more than meetings. Members are developing valuable life skills including communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and public speaking. They’re learning how to represent their peers, work together to make decisions and build the confidence to speak up – skills that will benefit them in education, employment and throughout their lives.
The Youth Council also helps create a stronger, more inclusive youth service. By listening to the experiences and ideas of our members, we can continue to make Cherry Orchard Youth Service a place where every young person feels welcome, heard and valued.
And this summer is set to be one to remember! Youth Council members along with members from our Junior Leader Programme will have the incredible opportunity to visit Dáil Éireann and the European Parliament in Brussels. These visits will give our young people a first-hand look at how decisions are made at local, national and European level, while inspiring them to think about active citizenship, democracy and the positive impact they can have in their own communities.
It’s a fantastic chance to ask questions, meet decision-makers and see that their voices really do matter. We hope these experiences will encourage our young people to become confident leaders, informed citizens and positive role models for others.
We’re incredibly proud of what our Youth Council has already achieved in such a short time, and we can’t wait to see where their ideas, energy and determination will take us next.
Because when young people are given a seat at the table, amazing things can happen.
