Democracy Ambassadors

Being an informed and active citizen is empowering and can benefit our whole society. The more people who participate in our democracy, the fairer and more equal it will be. That’s why we’ve launched the Young Citizens Democracy Ambassadors Programme with a group of our Year 10 students.

Our students receive an initial training session during which they learn a bit more about democracy, and interesting ways in which to share what they have learnt, they will then take part in some peer to peer activity: such as running a session for the rest of the group, or creating and sharing a short video or quiz with peers online.

Knowing your rights as a citizen and being aware of the ways you can influence decisions is key to having the confidence to make changes happen in your community. We believe that every young person should be aware of how democracy works and how they can participate in it. Everyone, regardless of background, gender, race or age, should have their say. We know that young people listen to what other young people have got to say. We also know that democracy isn’t one of the topics that naturally springs to a young person’s mind when they’re passing time with their mates in the park.

However, understanding and engaging with democratic processes is a crucial part of a young person’s transition to adulthood. Understanding their place in society and their rights as a citizen, feeling able to contribute to discussions about how their community is run, exercising their right to register to vote and go on to vote, and feeling that they CAN make a difference are all important parts of becoming an adult.