Local Democracy Week

Local Democracy Week is a campaign between a wide range of organisations and acts as a focal point for young people, individuals and groups in promoting local democracy and community participation

The Local Democracy Campaign is all about getting young people, Councils and other groups to work together to change their community for the better, by providing leadership and ideas and examples of good practice. The campaign encourages the setting aside of stereotypes and prejudices.                                                                                                                               

Mid Beds District Council joined the campaign in 2003 and during this time the Youth Participation Officer has organised a number of activities and events for the children and young people of Mid Beds.

Each year the Youth Participation Officers organises a number of activities and events in the aim to:                               
•Encourage children and young people to voice their opinions on issues that matter most to them.
•Provide the children and young people of Mid Beds with more information on local democracy and politics and how it affects them.
•Ensure that the Council devolves power wherever appropriate to young people.
•Encourage more Councillors to get involved in youth participation and to support the young people of Mid Beds.

During the last 4 years the Council’s involvement in local democracy has grown more and more each year, with more activities, more young people’s involvement and more changes across the district.

Please click on the following links to download/view the 2007 Local Democracy Week Report and/or the 2006 Local Democracy Week Report.

In addition to organising local democracy week the youth participation officer organises many local democracy days aimed at the middle and upper schools in Mid Beds. The youth participation officer visits schools and groups and organises workshops for the young people of Mid Beds. Schools also have the opportunity to bring classes to the council offices to learn more about local democracy.

For more information on local democracy week or local democracy days please contact Katy Henman on 01462 611008.