Young people from across Northern Ireland filled the 108 seats in the Assembly chamber at Stormont to engage in a live debate on the causes of and solutions to underage drinking, smoking and drug use.
NCB Northern Ireland (NI) worked with a group of young people aged 12 to 17 who attended the debate. The group included refugee and asylum seekers and young people with learning disabilities. NCB NI helped the young attendees develop their public speaking skills so they would feel confident expressing their views.
Celine McStravick, director of NCB NI, said: "This was a major event for the young people and we would like to thank junior ministers Gerry Kelly and Jeffrey Donaldson, as well as speaker William Hay, for the invitation. Until now, the voices of children and young people had not been heard in Northern Ireland. We hope this event will act as a sign of things to come and children's participation in governance will continue to increase."
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