We were so pleased to go with four of our Ranch young people to the Bristol Youth Voice Conference at City Hall, earlier in November. It is run by Bristol Youth Council and made up of young people from across the whole City.
Young people were asked to discuss their thoughts and feelings around different topics affecting their communities. The topics were Safety, Youth Services, Community, and Knife Crime. They wrote notes and prompts in preparation for speeches in the council chambers in front of the Bristol Councillors. It was amazing to see young people freely dissect and discuss how they felt about their community – the positives and the negatives.
When we went into the chambers a representative from each group spoke about each topic. It was really interesting to hear about the differences and similarities that young people have across the City. My colleague Mason and I were SO proud that our young people from The Ranch had the courage to speak in the chambers on behalf of Southmead.
It was an amazing evening and really reinforced the importance of young people having a space to talk and to express their feelings. We believe young people should always be at the forefront of decisions being made about them; they have voices that must to be listened to, empowered, and advocated for.
At The Ranch we ensure we continuously consult our community’s young people about what they would like from our sessions, what their ideas are, and what they like and dislike. Sessions run every Wednesday & Friday from 6 – 8PM.
You can read more about The Ranch Adventure Playground & Youth Space HERE, and if you are interested in volunteering with us, whatever your age, please email: info@southmead.org or call: 0117 950 3335.
