Young people ask council candidates to hear their concerns
A group of Scottish young people and organisations have signed an open letter to council election candidates, calling for youth voices and concerns to be heard.
The charity Magic Breakfast has released the letter sharing the hopes of Scotland’s young people. Priorities highlighted in the letter include hunger, education, gender equality, wellbeing, transport and the need for youth services.
The letter has been signed by 13 young people and six chief executives from organisations across the country. Signatories include members of the Scottish Youth Parliament, Youthlink Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and members of Young Humanists Scotland.
The key issue of hunger amongst young people is highlighted. The letter reads “hungry children cannot concentrate in class and fall behind their peers academically”.
A recent report published by Magic Breakfast shows around 250,000 children and young people are at risk of hunger in Scotland.
The letter also states there should be an “equal playing field” for all young people through education.
It says: “If we support and nurtureallchildrenandyoung people, especially those from disadvantaged areas, and encourage them into higher and further education, we could create a more diverse, skilled, efficient and effective workforce.”
Gender equality also features in the letter, which calls for the creation of “fairer representation for Scotland”, as well as more youth centres and outreach projects. Mental health community-based support should be “free and accessible to all” and “local solutions” to transport problems are needed so young people can both survive and thrive in their communities, the letter states.
Grace Mccabe, 18, a Magic Breakfast youth campaigner and one of the lead signatories, said: “Young people are the experts on their own lives and have unique perspective to the societal issues we face today.
“From transport to gender equality, young people are affected by policy decisions every day. Therefore, our voices should be heard and I hope this letter amplifies them.”