Young Wales Newsletter December 2023 www.childreninwales.org.uk
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The cost of living an eco-friendly life
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Young Wales’ upcoming consultations
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Young Wales residential at Glan-llyn, North Wales
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Child poverty survey results
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The cost-of-living roundtable at the Young Wales festival
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The cost of living an eco-friendly life Bethany Turner
We are excited to announce that Phase 2 of our peer research project is now underway. This research will look at the barriers young people in Wales face when trying to live a sustainable life. Earlier this year, we brought together a group of 12 young people to train them to become peer researchers and to explore the topic of climate change. They worked together with Children in Wales staff and a research methods consultant to develop a plan for this project. In this phase, the young people learnt about how to conduct research and decided what they wanted to explore and how they wanted to do it. The young people decided they wanted to do a survey and some focus groups to understand what stops young people from living a sustainable life. This included factors like age,
culture and area of Wales. The group agreed that there should also be a particular focus on how cost affects people’s choices in this area. Based on the great work the young people completed in phase 1, we will now be supporting the group to conduct this research. We look forward to sharing the results of this research – watch this space! If you would like to find out more about this work, please get in touch – bethany.turner@childreninwales.org.uk This project is funded by the Community Knowledge Fund who are supporting us to deliver the plans we worked on in Phase 1. The Young Foundation and UKRI are excited by the prospect of young people continuing to drive this work forward.
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Young Wales’ upcoming consultations We are thrilled to share that Young Wales is preparing for two significant consultations that will allow us to continue our mission of empowering young voices. These consultations will make a real impact on issues that matter to young people across Wales. 1.School Year Reform Consultation Young Wales is proud to be delivering consultations on the reform of the school year, conducted on behalf of the Welsh Government and in collaboration with Miller Research. This consultation will play an important role in shaping the future of education in Wales. We will be working with focus groups from all corners of Wales to look at the proposals for restructuring the school term times.
2. Taxi and Private Vehicle (Wales) Bill consultation Our second significant consultation will revolve around the Taxi and Private Vehicle (Wales) Bill. Young Wales worked with a focus group during our residential event in North Wales and we will be holding another consultation in the next few weeks with a smaller group. The Taxi and Private Vehicle (Wales) Bill consultation is of utmost importance as it directly impacts those who use taxi and private vehicle services. These consultations are a fantastic opportunity to contribute to meaningful change, and we look forward to working with young people all over Wales. If you would like to take part in our School Year Reform consultations or for more information please contact rachel.clement@childreninwales.org.uk
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s e l a W g n You
l a i t n e d i Res s e l a W h t r o N , n y l l n a l at G
We held our 3rd residential of the year in the picturesque setting at Glan-llyn, where we had over 30 enthusiastic Young Wales volunteers from various parts of Wales. The residential was packed with diverse activities, ensuring there was something for everyone. From adventurous pursuits like rafting on the lake to more relaxed moments in the wellbeing activities, and from competitive bouts of football to entertaining sessions of karaoke.
Beyond the recreational aspects, the Young Wales volunteers demonstrated a commendable commitment to making a difference. Working in their boards and groups, meetings were held with Welsh government officials, voicing their concerns and opinions on matters directly affecting them.
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In preparation for our Young Wales Festival, the volunteers worked on chairing round table discussions. It was inspiring to witness the passion and dedication these young advocates brought to the table. During the event, these sessions were very successful and served as a crucial platform for shaping perspectives, exchanging ideas, and fostering dialogue on important issues such as cost of living and education. Our CEO, Hugh Russell attended and wholeheartedly engaged with everyone present. This hands-on involvement added a
special touch to the residential, emphasising the importance of fostering connections and understanding among all attendees. The Glanllyn residential not only offered a space for fun and relaxation but also stood as a testament to the resilience and commitment of the Young Wales volunteers. As they continue to grow and evolve, residentials like these play a pivotal role in strengthening bonds, building a sense of unity, and empowering young people.
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Child poverty survey results Every year, in April and May, Children in Wales carries out a survey about poverty. We ask children and young people living in Wales to share their views, opinions and experiences about poverty. This year, 270 children and young people completed the survey. They were aged from around 10 years old up to 25 years old. They came from a variety of different backgrounds and cultures. Many of the children and young people said that it was not fair that children lived in poverty. They saw that children were bullied because of it, especially in school.
Children and young people said that living in poverty was hard. Children often did not have enough food to eat and lots of children were hungry. They also said that the cost of electricity was too high and this meant that some families couldn’t afford to use electricity every day. This made their homes cold and dark and they couldn’t use the internet at home or do their school work. They said that children and young people were bullied because of this and that this was just not fair. They wanted all children and young people to be treated with kindness and respect.
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The children and young people who took part in the survey said that being bullied affected mental health. They said that those who were bullied were often sad, anxious and felt lonely. Sometimes it was so bad, that they didn’t want to go into school as they would be bullied because they couldn’t afford the right school uniform. This meant that they were not getting the same opportunities to learn as their classmates. Children and young people thought this was unfair. They want children, young people and adults to treat everybody and each other equally. They said that we all deserve respect and to be treated with kindness, whatever our circumstances.
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The cost-of-living roundtable at the Young Wales festival Bethany Turner
On the 18th November, we celebrated World Children’s Day with our Young Wales Festival. There were a range of activities for children and young people to enjoy at this event. As part of the Festival, Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice, met with young people to talk about the cost of living. The young people and the Minister talked about how the rising cost of food and transport has affected them and those they know. They said that transport is too expensive and that some children have to pay a lot of money to go to school on public transport. They also said rising costs mean it is hard for many young people to go to after school events and school trips. This means they have fewer ways to relax and have fun, but it can affect them in other ways too. One young person said they worry they will have less to write about in their personal statement for university applications.
They think they will have fewer university options because of this. The young people also talked about what the Welsh Government should do about the cost of living. They said the Welsh Government should help more with the cost of food, transport, equipment (like laptops) and fun activities. The Minister agreed this was important and said she would talk to other Ministers about what the young people said.
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