 The UK Youth Parliament was launched in the House of Commons in July 1999  Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) are aged between 11 to 18.  Each member of the UKYP is voted for by their peer group in local elections.  87% of Local Education Authorities (LEA) have an MYP and 90% of young people in the UK are covered. Each LEA represents a UKYP constituency.  The aim of the UKYP is to give young people a democratic voice which communicates with Government, service providers and Society in general. The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark!

 Depending on size, each LEA’s allocation of MYPs reflects the number of young people living in that particular area. (e.g. Kent 7, Rutland 1)  Each LEA organises an ‘Election Day’ between November and January for Young People aged 11 to 18 (inclusive) to vote on who they want to be their MYPs.  An MYP is elected for a one year term of office, which commences on the 1 February.  Participation from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is facilitated via our partner organisations - Funky Dragon in Wales (44 MYPs), the Scottish Youth Parliament (62 MYPs) and the Northern Ireland Youth Forum (10 MYPs). The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark!

YOUNG PEOPLE MYPs & Deputies Local and Regional Meetings Annual UK Sitting and Select Committees Procedures Group Partners Board of Directors/Trustees & STAFF! Structure Overview

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! The Select Committees  Culture, Media & Sport  Transport & Employment  Education and Skills  Health  Law and Society  Environment & Rural Affairs  International Matters MYPs work in teams called Select Committees to oversee UKYP policy on a range of areas that affect the lives of young people. These closely follow the remits of the UK Government Departments.

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! The Regions ENGLAND  South West  South East  London  Eastern  West Midlands  East Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and The Humber The UKYP enables MYPs to meet in regional groups, as determined by the 9 English Regions and 3 nations of the UK. MYPs have regional meetings which allow them to share experiences and discuss challenges and solutions at a local level with other MYPs. WALES  Funky Dragon SCOTLAND  The Scottish Youth Parliament NORTHERN IRELAND  Northern Ireland Youth Forum

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! Equal Opportunities The UK Youth Parliament statistics are based on information provided by our members using the Equal Opportunities Form. View more details on our website.

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! Communications  Newsletters  Website  CDROM and Video  Information Packs  Regional e-groups  National e-groups  Select Committees & Groups  Improving communication is top of the agenda!  We have come a long way in a short space of time and achieved many things. In order to build on our successes we must use communication to further represent young people and give them more of a voice.

PARTNERS The UKYP seeks to build relationships with 3 rd parties to increase awareness and to share resources.  Action Aid  Barnados  British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)  British Youth Council (BYC)  British Telecomm (BT)  ChildLine  Local Government Association (LGA)  National Youth Agency (NYA)  National Children’s Bureau (NCB)  National Council For Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS)  The Black Police Association  The Youth Justice Board For England & Wales  Education & Social Inclusion Directorate  Save The Children  YWCA  Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)  The Children's Society  Parliamentary Education Unit  Carnegie Young People's Initiative  CSV Education  Metro Sports Foundation  CSNU  DfES  Brainchild UK  Corporate Culture  British Transport Police  New Scotland Yard  NUS  NSPCC  Regional Assemblies  Local Authorities

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! The Procedures Group  2 MYPs from each English Region  2 Members from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum  2 Members from the Scottish Youth Parliament  2 Members from Funky Dragon  1 Trustee (non-voting)  UKYP Staff (non-voting)  Each Region has only one vote. The Procedures Group decides how the UKYP should be run and works with UKYP staff to ensure the Annual Sitting is delivered successfully. The Procedures Group comprises of:

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! Board of Trustees and Directors The work of the UKYP is overseen by DEMOCRACY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LIMITED a charitable company which trades as the UK Youth Parliament, and has legal and financial responsibility for the UKYP. Our Board of Trustees comprises of:  2 x Co – Chairs, one a young person and one an adult Member of Parliament (MP) – currently a member of the Labour Party.  An MP from the Conservative Party and an MP from the Liberal Democrats.  51% of the Board is made up of young people aged between 18 – 25 years old.  Other Public and Private Sector Representatives

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! Facts  The UKYP is a charity and receives its core funding from the UK Government, via the DfES.  The Minister to whom the UKYP works directly is Margaret Hodge, Minister for Children, Young People & Families.  The UKYP has developed Service Level Agreements with Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in England, and separate agreements with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to ensure a minimum level of support is provided to all MYPs.  We have a highly committed network which is built on our voluntary relationship with MYPs and supporters.  UKYP provides a focus for levering in funding for young people’s participation in LEAs, eg – Lancashire.  Based on electoral returns in 2004, UKYP estimates that approximately 500,000 young people across the UK vote annually in UKYP elections.

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! Contact Details  You can visit our website at:  us:  Telephone:  Fax:  Our postal address is:  UK Youth Parliament 61 Sandy Lane Hartley Wintney Hook Hampshire RG27 8DT

The UK Youth Parliament: Making Our Mark! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!