The 2021 Annual Conversation followed on from the work done for the G7, which came to Cornwall in June 2021. This gave children and young people the opportunity to share their ideas on the future of Cornwall. With thousands of young people taking part in the G7, the Council pledged to keep the conversation going as part of their commitment to recognising the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; particularly their rights:
- to be informed
- to be heard, and
- have their views taken seriously
What we talked about in the Annual Conversation 2021:
We combined what we heard from children and young people during G7 with the Make Your Mark 2020 results. As a result, children and young people put forward their priorities, solutions and celebrations for children and young people in Cornwall.
Pledges
Ambassadors, Councillors and officials agreed to one idea from each group. Collectively they would take this idea forward. They also agreed the next steps they would take to achieve this. Here are the three pledges from last years Annual Conversation:
- Climate, environment and carbon neutrality
- Mental and physical health and wellbeing
- Future opportunities in Cornwall – housing and careers for young people
You can find out more about each pledge, including what has happened since last year, via the links below:
Develop, with young people, an education campaign to reduce our waste on land and at sea and to improve recycling rates in Cornwall to create an education website to increase awareness of campaigns and action to get involved with.
The Ambassadors joined up with staff from the Councils Environment Team and designed a schools recycling campaign Recycle More which 19 schools signed up to.
There is also work being done to create online information and resources for young people and schools to access. We have started work to create an online climate toolbox designed by young people for young people. We would love to work with any young people to further develop this work. You can sign up to be a Carbon Neutral Cornwall Youth Ambassador via our Let's Talk Cornwall page, or email us at carbonneutral.education@cornwall.gov.uk.
To improve mental health in communities, by improving transport to reduce isolation, creating support groups for mental health by young people for young people and communicating and making it easier (to access) casual resources and mental health help.
In the area of Transport, the Ambassadors met online with young people from Carefree Cornwall (who have also been campaigning for improved access to transport). Their ideas and views shaped a Department for Transport funding application to support children and young people gain confidence and knowledge using public transport. Sadly, the funding application was not successful, however their views have now formed part of a review of transport for children that the Council is undertaking. Also, there have been significant steps in Cornwall to improve accessibility which include child fares until the age of 19 and Any Ticket, Any Bus, enabling travellers to use any bus company in Cornwall with their ticket.
Ambassadors and Young People from partner organisations have also worked to design and produce a series of Who’s Who films which will be available online and social media soon. A total of 22 practitioners have recorded short clips to explain their jobs so that children have a better idea of the help they can access.
Demand more affordable housing
Ban new builds being sold to second and third home owners
Not long after the Annual Conversation one of our Ambassadors joined Councillor Olly Monk to present views around housing challenges to Cornish MPs. This is a significant step in enabling the views of young people to be heard in influential places.
Since then, our Planning and Housing Team have worked hard to involve children and young people in its work around affordable housing. In July some of our ambassadors and a Member of Youth Parliament met to make a short film about affordable housing, what this means for people in Cornwall and its impact.
