CYP Now - BYC closure highlights 'threat to youth representation', members warn

Youth parliament members have written to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport amid concerns that “youth representation is under a greater threat than ever” after the closure of the British Youth Council (BYC).

Members of youth parliament have asked the DCMS what support they have for those affected. Picture: BYC

An open letter, written by Haydn Cutler, Member of Youth Parliament for Kent, and co-signed by more than 200 advocates, follows the closure of the BYC last week.

Members of the youth parliament call for the DCMS’ “help and assistance so that we can continue our legacy of changing lives for the better”.

They highlight the BYC's role in elevating issues around free school meals access to a national level politically and producing insight into how the cost-of-living crisis has affected young people.

It also states that “it is clear that the government and DCMS have a moral duty to ensure that the Youth Voice Programme, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee [which were all run by the BYC] continue without disruption or diminishment”.

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