Put your faith into action! Active Citizens: How you can get involved Put your faith into action! Putting your faith into action doesn’t just mean voting in an election. There are lots of ways that you can become an active citizen – and you don’t have to wait until you’re old enough to vote to have your say!

Active Citizens: How you can get involved The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation run by young people. There are 369 seats for elected MYPs (Members of Youth Parliament), all aged 11-18. MYPs are usually elected in annual youth elections throughout the UK. Any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote. In the past two years one million young people have voted in UK Youth Parliament elections. Once elected MYPs organise events and projects, run campaigns and influence decision makers on the issues which matter most to young people. All MYPs have the opportunity to meet once a year at the UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting. More information here: http://www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/

Active Citizens: How you can get involved The European Youth Parliament UK (EYPUK) is an educational charity run to teach young people across Europe about UK and EU political issues. The EYPUK runs local, regional and national sessions, where a wide range of issues are discussed, debated and voted on. Anyone aged 11-18 can attend these sessions, and schools can also bring a delegation. At the National Session, over 140 delegates from across the UK meet to debate important issues and to select the UK delegates to the International Session. For more information: http://eypuk.co.uk/what-we-do/

Active Citizens: School Councils A school council is group of students who are elected to represent the views of all pupils and to improve their school. Each year, every class will normally elect 2 representatives to be members of the school council. The council will then meet to elect officers such as: Chair Secretary Treasurer In a larger school (more than 400 pupils) there may be separate year councils, with a large meeting of the whole school council once a term.

Active Citizens: School Councils Whether it is changing the school uniform or redesigning the lunch menu, a good school council is one that represents the views of all students and gets things done. These are some things that make a council effective: Regular meetings A council that is not too big Class/Form councils that meet regularly Good communication between representatives and their class Training for school council members Smaller groups (subcommittees) working on specific events or issues A bank account or budget (however small) Annual evaluations

Active Citizens: Write to your local MP or MEP Writing to your local MP, councillor or MEP (Member of European Parliament) is a great way to make your voice heard. MPs are there for you to tell them what issues matter to you – they receive many personal letters from their constituents. You can find out who your local representatives are by visiting www.writetothem.com When you enter your postcode, Write To Them will then list all your local representatives. You can click on any name and a template letter will appear, which you can fill in and send from the website.

Active Citizens: Campaign During a referendum campaign, you can help the side you want to support by: Joining a campaign group Canvassing Campaigning with them This can be a great way to get involved in your community and to find out more about the values of both sides of the debate.

Active Citizens: Volunteer In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis asks us to put our faith into action by doing good works: "Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.“ Doing charitable work is a great way to put your faith into action, building a community and showing what matters to you. By volunteering you are answering your Christian call to participate in society and foster community. How could you become a more active citizen? Have you got talents that you could use to serve your community?