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Hi Everyone! Christmas and New year have come and gone...
So in this newsletter we'll look back at some of the fun we have had in the last few weeks, and look forward to all the work we are cracking on with for 2026!
You might notice that the newsletter has a bit of a ‘new look’ – we want to emphasise that this newsletter is designed to cover Youth Voice across the whole of Devon (not just Devon Youth Council) so if you have anything you’d like add, please fill in the form at the bottom and we will make sure your group can be featured!
First of all – a few pictures remembering Christmas and New year with Devon Youth Council and Stand up Speak up!
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Devon Youth Council
Our Council that represents all young people in Devon
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Make your Mark campaign: Places to Go and Things to Do
In our last newsletter we talked about the Places to Go Things to Do campaign youth voice event and the start of the three co-production groups:
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Inclusion (promoting an inclusive culture in Devon as well as creating safe and affordable spaces for young people in our towns)
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Transport (exploring creative solutions to the cost and accessibility of our public transport for young people)
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Online Directory (creating an online directory for all youth activities and events in Devon as a ‘one-stop shop’)
These groups are all up and running and meet regularly online. If you are particularly interested in any of these issues, you are welcome to join in – either as a young person representing your peers or as a professional who can influence change - please do get in touch on participation@devon.gov.uk
The Places to Go Things to Do grant fund has been a great success and is now closed. Devon Youth Council members have now give out all £160,000 to over 130 different youth organisations across Devon. Go to the Children, Families, and Education website to see what has been funded. We are looking forward to our celebration event at the end of March for all the groups who have received funding from this grant.
To stay informed on what the Devon Youth Council are up to, you can find a link to our Instagram at the bottom of this newsletter.
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Network for Change
Our Council for young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)
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Things are ramping up in the Network for Change space!
We now have a group of young people who are being supported to speak with the SEND Strategic Partnership Board and help co-produce change. This is a huge step and will help to make such a difference in how the Board responds to what young people are saying.
As their first step into this work, they met with Dr Andre Imich, the new independent chair of the SEND Strategic Board for a conversation about their experiences in education and with SEND services in Devon. They were joined by Kellie Knott (SEND strategic director) and Sarah Lord (Four cornerstones partner).
 Several of these young people are part of our work in Okehampton School. That group helped to run a workshop on SEND in their school which is also a huge achievement! The event brought together students, senior leaders, and Trust decision-makers. The group bravely presented findings from their Student Voice Survey as well as their personal experiences and highlighted key areas for improvement. As a result Senior leaders in the school have agreed some changes to improve inclusion.
We mentioned in our last newsletter that the Champions for Change group (our young people who attend Special Schools) have been co-producing family days out with the Commissioning Team. One of their ideas was a Japanese Day where we could celebrate the wealth of culture that Japan has given to the world. This was a brilliant day with over 100 people coming along! The space was relaxed, inclusive, and full of opportunities to discover something new!
 If you want to hear more from the SEND Network for Change then make sure to follow the Network for Change Instagram.
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Stand Up Speak Up
Our Council for care experienced young people
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December was such a lot of fun with our SUSU groups where we have been able to get together to celebrate Christmas with Care Leavers from across Devon. We hosted 3 different Christmas meals - professionally cooked roast dinners complete with all the trimmings! Huge thanks to the support of Exeter foodbank and St Matt’s Church without whom it couldn’t have happened. Events like this are so important to help develop a sense of belonging and community.
Since then, we have met as a SUSU council and started our work for the year. We focused on the ongoing development of the 16+ housing model and how Devon County Council (DCC) looks after young people’s belongings. DCC are making progress on how belongings are looked after so that young people will no longer lose their precious items if they move around whilst in care. The next two areas of focus for the council is how to improve the support of young parents who are care-experienced and also the support any young people who may end up in custody. Both these two groups can experience prejudice and judgement so we want to make sure that their support is as good as possible.
If you want to hear more from our SUSU Council then make sure to follow the Stand Up Speak Up Instagram.
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We are excited to see a growing interest in setting up Town Youth Councils.
We want to give a particular shout out to Barnstaple and Crediton who have invested in youth workers to set up their town youth councils so that they can really hear and respond to youth people in their towns.
If you are a part of a town youth council or help run one, we would love to hear from you! We have just started a facilitator network so that staff can meet and help each other out – this meets monthly online on a Wednesday afternoon.
Town Youth Councils are going to have a key role in making sure that Devon is listening to young people in their local communities and will only serve to strengthen the overall work of the Devon Youth Council.
Do get in touch on participation@devon.gov.uk if you are interested in exploring this idea further.
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We're always looking for more good news and updates around Youth Voice in Devon!
If you have something that you think would work well in our next Devon Youth Voice newsletter or even on our Instagram, please let us know in the submission form below!
Some of the things you could send us are:
- Any achievements you want us to show off!
- News stories
- Event or survey opportunities
- Local or national campaign updates
- Ideas for improving this newsletter
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