Welcome from your Youth Parliament RepresentativesHello and welcome to the second issue of our newsletter, keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on in your youth service and local area.My name is Amrit Tamana and I am your newly elected Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for Kensington and Chelsea. I was elected by you to represent your needs locally, regionally and nationally. During my term in office, I aim to achieve real and long-lasting change for young people in the borough and maintain a close relationship with those I represent. We are currently searching for a new Deputy MYP (DMYP) and if you are interested in this role then please look at page 4 for further details.

This newsletter is one of the tools I will be using to keep you informed on what’s happening in the community around you and what could affect you as young people.

Recently I have been to the first UK Youth Parliament London convention following the annual sitting in the House of Commons. In this convention all the MYPs and DMYPs from around London gathered to further discuss ideas on the campaigns we decided upon in the House of Commons. This is explained in greater detail further on in the newsletter.

Please feel free to ask me anything you want, be it a comment, a suggestion for an issue we could help with or just a general question. I am contactable on:

� Facebook: Amrit Tamana - MYP for RBKC � Email: myp@rbkc.gov.uk � Twitter: RBKC MYP � KCcentral website: kccentral.rbkc.gov.uk/myp

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. To do the best job we can, we need your input!!

Issue : 2 Winter 2013

What is happening to the youth service?In the last YOUth newsletter, we told you that the Youth Support and Development Service was considering opting out of the local authority and becoming an employee-led mutual (ELM) and social enterprise.

Over the last two years, we have been looking at how it would work by setting up a shadow board made up of staff and young people as well as working groups who looked at different areas of the ELM, carrying out consultation activities to find out what young people and other stakeholders valued most about the service and wanted us to keep, and we also visited other social enterprises to find out what an ELM was all about and what the benefits and challenges of becoming one were.

We have now received approval from the council leader, directors and councillors, and, following a 100% staff vote in favour of the ELM, we will become a not-for-profit local business known as EPIC CIC as of April this year.

What does this mean for you?The changes to the youth service will not be apparent straight away and will be gradual over the next few months.

We hope to offer a more effective service to young people in Kensington and Chelsea and becoming a social enterprise will allow us to deliver services and activities that meet the needs of young people better.

We will also have more flexibility about what we do and who we work with. Whilst some things will change, we hope that it will be a better service for young people.

If you would like to find out more or to get involved, contact Amrit, your Member of Youth Parliament, at myp@rbkc.gov.uk. You can also contact Amrit on Facebook by searching for ‘Amrit Tamana - MYP for RBKC’.

On the 23rd of November 2012, the fourth annual UK Youth Parliament sitting took place at the House of Commons. During this sitting we discussed the following topics in a range of heated debates:

� Marriage for all � Getting ready for work � Make public transport cheaper, better

and accessible for all � An Equal National Minimum Wage for all. � A curriculum to prepare us for life

Having debated each of these topics in great detail and at length, we proceeded to vote on the topic we felt needed addressing the most. After a count of all the votes it was decided that the main campaign issue for youth parliament this year would be ‘a curriculum to prepare us for life’. This issue received 154 of the 295 votes cast.

This campaign involves improving financial, political, sexual health and P.S.H.E education for everyone in all schools so that each individual has a better understanding of the world they are about to enter after leaving college/university. I personally believe that this is the best aim youth parliament could have this year as it gives youth parliament a chance to better the education of young people in a way that they themselves desire.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that this is an aim that can be fulfilled and I will try my utmost to ensure that young people have a ‘curriculum to prepare us all for life’.

What can you do?If anyone feels strongly about this topic then please email or Facebook me with any complaints/queries you may have about the way PSHE is taught in your school or what you personally want to be taught that will prepare you for life.

Youth Satisfaction Survey announcement and previous resultsThe Youth Satisfaction Survey is your opportunity to tell the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Youth Support and Development Service what you think of the services it provides. You can also tell us about the activities you have taken part in, the facilities that are available, the information we provide for you, and how you would like to be involved in decisions that are made about the service.

Last year, 560 young people completed the survey and 94.7% of them said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the youth services in the borough. Young people also told us that:

� We should use social media websites like Facebook more to publicise our services (60%)

� They would like to see more kinds of services at the weekend (68.8%)

� There should be more information regarding ‘Careers/Job Opportunities’ (35%) and

� Overall, there was a wide range of activities on offer (82%).

We know that we are not perfect and we are constantly working to make the service a better one for young people, but we need you to tell us how we are doing so that we know what we need to work on the most.

Please take 10 minutes to complete this year’s survey. The survey can be found online at svy.mk/U3YY44.

Every young person who completes the survey can leave their details to win up to £100 high street vouchers which can be used in a number of stores and shops. Surveys must be completed by Monday 25 February.

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2013 UK Youth Parliament applicants wantedThe UKYP is a great way for young people to use their voice in creative and innovative ways to bring about social change.

Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) are young people who come together in meetings and residentials to discuss issues they consider important for young people.

We are currently recruiting for a Deputy MYP (DMYP), who will become the MYP next year.

As DMYP, you will work alongside the MYP to campaign on behalf of young people in Kensington and Chelsea. Your duties will include meeting with MPs and local councillors, organising events, running campaigns, making speeches, holding debates, and ensuring the views of young people are listened to by decision makers.

Being a DMYP is a very exciting opportunity. Throughout your term of office you will have the chance to get involved in a range of activities.

To find out more about becoming a DMYP, contact the Youth Participation Team on 020 7938 8022, or if you would like to put yourself forward as a candidate send us an email at myp@rbkc.gov.uk with the following subject ‘I want to be the next DMYP’ and provide answers the following questions (by Friday 15 February):

� Name � Date of Birth � Email Address � Home address � Postcode � Tel Number/ Mobile � Name of school, college or youth group/

club you attend � Your personal manifesto

1. Why do you believe it is important for young people to participate in decision making at a local and national level?

2. What do you believe are the 3 key issues for young people living in Kensington and Chelsea?

3. Why do you believe that you would make a good Deputy Member of Youth Parliament?