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Posted by jeopreddy from Neath Port Talbot - Published on 11/05/2010 at 10:06
1 comments » - Tagged as Volunteering

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I’ve been interested in active citizenship since 2006.

The thing that made me wants to volunteer and help young people voice their issues is the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child (UNCRC).

In my local youth club there are a few notice boards with posters, leaflets, etc involving young people. During youth club I’d read the UNCRC and go around club exclaiming my rights. One youth worker, Jan, asked me if I wanted to join my local youth council. That’s where it all began!

I became a member of Neath Port Talbot Youth Council last March. During the meetings we discuss issues affecting young people in our area, and then we choose three our four topics to take to cabinet members.

The youth council has opened up so many opportunities for me; if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be involved with CLIC. I went on the first two Big CLIC Weekenders. They were both brilliant fun and it felt good that we had our voices heard.

I went to Afan FM, our local radio station, a few times, discussing topics around young people. This gave me experience in media which I am interested in, as you can tell by all the articles I’ve written.

I have done many things within my local community. I wrote to my local authority asking if they could build a new cricket pitch as the one that is there isn’t well maintained and our local councillor has taken this issue forward.

Also, along with others we applied for a fund to have a youth café in our community centre. Stephanie and I wrote to our local council requesting a vending machine in the community centre where our youth club is based. Not only would it benefit us, but other users of the hall.

In December 2009 our youth council won an award at the Phillip Lawrence Awards. This saw us venturing up to London where we attended a glamorous event hosted by Trevor McDonald.

After the event, PLAnet (Phillip Lawrence Awards Network) got in touch with a few members of the youth council to represent not only Neath Port Talbot but Wales.

From there, both me and Ben went on our first residential with PLAnet, to Birmingham. It gave us so much impendence and confidence in travelling by ourselves. Not only that but we are involved in marketing the event. We’re going to London to market the awards, and also Nottingham to plan.

After all I have done, I received a High Sherriff Award from the High Sherriff Of West Glamorgan, which I was very pleased and honoured to receive. I was also recognised by my school and was awarded with the Award for Contribution To The Local Community.

There are too many things to mention that I’ve done, but I can assure you it is all fun. Volunteering looks good on your CV, not only is it good for you but you are helping other people and organisations.

Get involved, get volunteering