Derry Mayor Cllr Brenda Sevenson pictured at the Foyle Youth Council Child Rights Training with (from left) Helen Harley (Derry City Councils Children and Young Person Officer), Laura McFall (NICCY, Participation Officer), Peter McCloskey (Derry City Council), Mark Giboney (WELB, Youth Officer), Holly Collins (WELB, Youth Officer) along with members of Foyle Youth Council.
New Mayor of Derry carried her first engagement only minutes after becoming the city’s First Citizen.
Cllr Stevenson met with the Foyle Youth Council which will in the coming weeks appoint a “Young Mayor” to head up the Youth Council to assist the Mayor during her term, attending relevant events and functions as a Youth Council figurehead.
The Youth Council was meeting in the Guildhall on the same night the Mayor was elected to undertake child rights training, facilitated by Laura Mc Fall, Participation Officer for the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Office.
Derry City Council is the only local authority within Northern Ireland currently taking part in the programme along with five other local authorities from Britain.
Speaking after meeting with the group, the Mayor said the training would form the basis to the Foyle Youth Council developing its very own Mayor’s Child Rights Charter which would be rolled out to organisations throughout the city who work with children and young people for endorsement.
She added: “The charter is one of the key elements within UNICEF Child Rights Programme, which is a partnership programme with UNICEF UK – the world’s leading children’s organisation.”
“The Charter will outline Council’s commitment to ensuring that Council’s actions are reflective of and informed by the needs and rights of children and young people and will be a major milestone in working towards the Council area becoming a ‘Child and Youth Friendly City and District’. I am delighted with the progress so far and look forward to continuing to work with the Youth Council and the newly appointed Young Mayor.”
The Foyle Youth Council is a collaborative initiative between Derry City Council and WELB Youth Service and is committed to ensuring that young people can express their views and opinions through democratic structures and processes.
If you would like more information regarding the Youth Council please go to: www.derrycity.gov.uk/youthcouncil
