A member of Slough’s Youth Parliament has been invited to the House of Commons to take part in a national discussion on important issues for young people.
Arjan Dhillon, 12, UK Member of Youth Parliament for Slough and Langley Grammar representative, will visit the House of Commons on 4 November.
Earlier in the year, students across Slough schools, and nationally, voted in the Make Your Mark ballot. This raised health and wellbeing as the top issues they were concerned about, so this has been the main focus of UK Youth Parliament work since March.
In Slough there were two youth-led focus groups which have fed into the health and wellbeing report, soon to be published by the British Youth Council. Nationally, there were 190 focus groups, with 2,858 young people consulted and sharing their experiences on health and wellbeing issues.
Education was a reason 85% gave for having an impact on their health and wellbeing, while other reasons included resources, accessibility, discrimination, and online safety.
The House of Commons session will allow greater discussion on young people’s concerns.
Arjan may be chosen by the Speaker on the day to talk, but either way, he will be able to vote on the topics of the day and this will decide what the national Youth Parliament campaign will be, led by the British Youth Council.
Arjan said: “I am excited, but nervous. So far, I felt that mental health and the cost-of-living crisis have impacted us the most.
“I feel they are also linked, as many people will feel more anxious as interest rates and taxes are increasing. I am not sure about how to tackle them though, so will be good to discuss with others.”
Councillor Christine Hulme, lead member for children’s services, lifelong learning and skills, said: “It is a fantastic opportunity to get to go to the House of Commons and potentially speak on behalf of Slough’s young people.
“As a council, we are very proud of our youth and the work they do to understand what their peers need and what we can do to help.”