Liverpool forms youth combined authority
Fiona Simpson
Friday, August 19, 2022
Liverpool has launched a youth combined authority, giving the region’s 350,000 young people a platform to help shape policy.
Some 25 young people, aged 13 to 25, have been chosen from 60 applicants to represent local authority areas which make up Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The group, which includes representatives with special educational needs and disabilities will meet monthly, mostly online, to consider issues such as transport, economic development, housing, jobs and skills, the environment, digital connectivity and culture.
They will work closely with youth combined authorities in other areas of England and will scrutinise and influence the policies and decisions of the council.
Alissya, aged 14, from St Helens is a member of the youth combined authority.
She said: “I’ve always been very positive about my disability but being a person who uses a wheelchair makes accessibility and disability awareness a big issue for me. I hope we can make a difference in the Youth Combined Authority so there can be more understanding of people and there are equal opportunities.”
The newly elected youth combined authority has met with Liverpool’s metro mayor Steve Rotheram.
He said the scheme is “all about giving a platform to the nearly 350,000 young people who call our city region home - and making sure their voice is heard".
“Too often, young people have been overlooked by decision makers, excluded from the debate on important decisions that directly affect their lives. Yet, in reality, they are a generation who will one day inherit our region – and deal with the legacy of the decisions we’re making today.
“Now more than ever, it’s incredibly important that young people are being encouraged to engage with politics, to stand up for the issues they feel passionate about, and make sure their views are listened to.
“I’m looking forward to working with our young people and hearing their ideas on how we can shape a better future for our region. Collectively, they will be the authors of the next chapter in our region’s long and storied history,” he added.
