A live music event will take place next month to launch the town council’s Youth Advisory Board.
The event will be held at the Assembly Hall on Saturday 15th February, headlined by local indie band The Sunnies, with two other local acts also set to perform.
Young people aged 14 to 18, and up to 25 years old for those with special educational needs, are invited to attend. They will have the opportunity to take part in activities addressing the issues that matter most to them and explore ways to have a say in Melksham’s future.
There will also be an opportunity for young people interested in signing up to the Youth Advisory Board. Members of the board will be able to contribute in an advisory role to the town council’s various sub-committees and working groups.
“Tickets cost £2.50, which includes a free drink, and there will be food laid on as well,” explained Cllr Charlie Stokes, who is leading the project after presenting the idea at a Melksham Town Council meeting last year.
“We want to get the youth engaged in what goes on in the town,” she said. “A lot of decisions we make are on things like parks and children’s services, but young people never get a say in it. We don’t ask what they think or what they want. Lots of young people in our town have great ideas about what they want to see in Melksham, and that’s not just to do with parks.
“When I was out talking to people, a lot of the children were saying, ‘Why aren’t you doing this with the Blue Pool? Why haven’t we got this?’ There’s nothing that really brings it all together.”
At the event, there will be information about how young people can sign up and get involved. While the board will see young people take on an advisory role within the council, they will not have voting rights but will support councillors in finding solutions.
“Let’s face it, all of us on the town council are not children. We might have our own, but things are different for children now than they were for us,” says Cllr Stokes.
“It is time to start hearing young people’s voices about what happens in Melksham and let them be heard.”
The project is supported by a grant from Wiltshire Council, with additional funding provided by Melksham Town Council.
Tickets will be available soon via the town hall or by booking online through TicketSource.
Pictured: The Sunnies who are due to perform at the event
