The British Youth Council, known informally as BYC, is a UK charity that works to empower young people and promote their interests. The national charity, run by young people, exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the increased participation of young people in society and public life. It is partly funded by the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
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and
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
.
History
Beginnings
The British Youth Council was established by the
Foreign Office of the British Government in preparation for the first
World Assembly of Youth
The World Assembly of Youth (WAY); French: ''Assemblée Mondiale de la Jeunesse'', Spanish: ''Asamblea Mundial de la Juventud'' is the international coordinating body of national youth councils and national youth organisations. The full members ...
. Its original aim was to unite young people in Britain against the forces of
communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...
just after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
1960–69
In 1963, the Council gained independence from the British Government and became a UK charity championing the opinions of young people.
From the late 1960s, the Council expanded its work in connecting youth councils across the UK – a move championed by then staff member
John Denham John Denham may refer to:
* John Denham (died 1556 or later), English MP for Shaftesbury
* John Denham (judge), (1559–1639), father of the poet below, and one of the Ship Money judges
* John Denham (poet) (1615–1669), English poet
* John Denham ...
, former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
1970–79
In 1971, BYC organised the annual World Assembly of Youth event in Manchester where Prime Minister
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...
was the keynote speaker.
In the late 1970s, the organisation elected David Hunt as chair (now a member of the House of Lords) as well as
Janet Paraskeva
Dame Janet Paraskeva (born 28 May 1946, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales) is a British government official.
She was appointed as the First Civil Service Commissioner on 1 January 2006. On 15 November 2007 Paraskeva was announced by Peter Hain ...
(now First Civil Service Commissioner) and
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson (born 21 October 1953) is a British Labour Party politician who served as First Secretary of State from 2009 to 2010. He was President of the Board of Trade in 1998 and from 2008 to 2010. He is the ...
.
BYC published the "Youth Unemployment: Cause and Cures" report. They also attended the 11th World Festival on Youth in Cuba where motions were passed on the human rights records of the USSR and USA. Delegates include
Trevor Phillips
Sir Mark Trevor Phillips (born 31 December 1953) is a British writer, broadcaster and former politician who served as Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2003. He presented '' Trevor Phillips on Sunday'', a Sunda ...
,
Paul Boateng
Paul Yaw Boateng, Baron Boateng (born 14 June 1951) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from 1987 to 2005, becoming the UK's first Black Cabinet Minister in May 2002, when he was appoi ...
and
Charles Clarke MP.
1980–89
In 1987 BYC Scotland closed due to funding cuts by the Government. The British Youth Council also had its Foreign Office grant withdrawn due to the changes in international relations. However, the Council continued to promote local youth councils and was involved in the UK's signing of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The Co ...
.
1990–99
In the 1990s BYC worked with partners in campaigns to get young people registered to vote and on issues of young people's employment. They also worked in the field of youth policy and research, producing a number of journals and publications.
Notable publications during this decade include ‘Never Had it So Good: The Truth about being young in nineties Britain’ (1996), and the 1998 report ‘State of the Young Nation’, which asked 1000 young people about their participation in society and their understanding of political processes.
Continuing increase in BYC’s research, consultation and policy work culminated in 2000 with the biggest consultation with young people that the Government had ever commissioned on areas such as education, employment and young people having their say. The conclusion, 'Listening to the Unheard', led to the formulation of the European White Paper on Youth which BYC co-ordinated as the UK members of the
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum (from french: Youth Forum Jeunesse, YFJ) is an international non-profit association and serves as a platform and advocacy group of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Euro ...
.
Governance
The British Youth Council Board of Trustees is made up of 12 young people aged 16–25. These annually elected trustees employ 14 staff and 10 full-time volunteers and manage a body of young campaigners and media spokespeople. The organisation is a registered charity, and a registered company limited by guarantee, in order to enable the appointment of directors under 18 years old.
Membership
The Council has over 250 members including national youth organisations, faith-based groups, and organisations representing minority groups of young people. In addition, the Council supports a network of 620 youth councils and youth forums, also run by young people.
Activities
The British Youth Council assists young people to represent themselves through activities such as Young People in Parliament Events, having their voices heard by politicians and policy makers. It sets up initiatives that celebrate young people's achievements such as the Royal Society of Arts Young Leader Awards. With support from the House of Commons, the British Youth Council established the Youth Select Committee which, in 2013, held an inquiry into the national curriculum with 11 young panel Members.
The Council supports young people to find volunteering opportunities and other opportunities for young people through its website, its membership base and through newsletters like the BYC Project and its Online Action Network.
It coordinates different youth-led networks such as the Local Youth Council Network,
UK Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament has 369 members, who are elected to represent the views of young ...
Young Mayors Network
Consortia
The British Youth Council now manages Participation Works – a group of national charities working to ensure that every child and young person can influence decisions affecting their lives. They are working with the
Children's Rights Alliance for England
Children's Rights Alliance For England (CRAE) is a London-based advocacy group that aims to protect children's rights in the UK. Since 2015, it has operated as part of the children's charity Just for Kids Law.
CRAE was founded in 1991 to monito ...
,
The National Youth Agency
The National Youth Agency (NYA) is an educational charity in England and Wales that works in partnership with a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organizations to support and improve services for young people.
The NYA's particul ...
, the
National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) was a membership network of over 200 voluntary and community organisations, as well as local and regional networks, that work with and for young people across England. The organisation cl ...
,
Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
(England) and formerly the
National Children's Bureau
The National Children’s Bureau works collaboratively across the issues affecting children to influence policy and get services working together to deliver a better childhood.
Established in 1963, they have been at the forefront of campaigning f ...
.
The Council is a founding member of the UK
Votes at 16
Votes at 16 is a campaign in the United Kingdom which argues in favour of the reduction of the voting age to 16 for all public elections. The campaign espouses several principles in favour of lowering the voting age.
Votes at 16 Coalition
The Vo ...
Coalition. The coalition consists of various organisations and political parties and is led by the
Children's Rights Alliance for England
Children's Rights Alliance For England (CRAE) is a London-based advocacy group that aims to protect children's rights in the UK. Since 2015, it has operated as part of the children's charity Just for Kids Law.
CRAE was founded in 1991 to monito ...
, the
National Union of Students and the
Scottish Youth Parliament
The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is a youth-led, democratic organisation which aims to represent the young people of Scotland.
The SYP is made up of around 166 democratically-elected representatives aged 14–25 from across Scotland. Represe ...
.
Prior to the
2015 General Election, the Council became a founding member of the UK branch of the
League of Young Voters
There are two main organisations with the name of "The League of Young Voters", one in the U.S. and one in Europe.
The League of Young Voters U.S.
The American organization, also known as the League of Independent Voters and the League of Pissed ...
The League's steering group consists of the
Scottish Youth Parliament
The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is a youth-led, democratic organisation which aims to represent the young people of Scotland.
The SYP is made up of around 166 democratically-elected representatives aged 14–25 from across Scotland. Represe ...
,
Northern Ireland Youth Forum
The Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of volunteer members aged between 11 and 25. Winners of the very first MTV voices award in 2011.
NIYF Executive Committee
The NIYF is a youth led ...
,
Bite The Ballot
Bite The Ballot (BTB) is a party-neutral movement and registered youth democracy charity, based in the United Kingdom. Its mission is to empower young people to evolve UK democracy.
BTB was formed in April 2010 by business studies teachers David ...
and the
National Union of Students.
The Council provides a range of training courses, many funded under schemes such as Youth at the Table.
Regional
The UK organization is separated into 12 regions: East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Each hosts 3 annual conferences, known as conventions, which aim to promote and share good practice in Youth Voice work done by young people, including Members of Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors and Young Mayors.
Yorkshire and the Humber
The Yorkshire and Humber region consists of the Youth Councils of:
* Barnsley
* Sheffield
* Rotherham
* Doncaster
* Kingston upon Hull
* Calderdale
* York
* Leeds
* North Lincolnshire
* North-East Lincolnshire
* North Yorkshire
* Bradford
* Wakefield
* East Riding of Yorkshire
* Kirklees
Through the support of the Youth York Unit Yorkshire and Humber, an initiative has been established wherein each area elects a representative to the Yorkshire and Humber Youth Voice Steering Group, which meets a minimum of 4 times each year to co-ordinate regional youth voice work and to work on cross-boundary issues such as transport.
International
Since it began, the Council has been involved in international work which aims to develop an awareness of international issues and action and to represent the UK at international events
BYC International
The British Youth Council works closely with the British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
to promote participation overseas. It is a member of the European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum (from french: Youth Forum Jeunesse, YFJ) is an international non-profit association and serves as a platform and advocacy group of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Euro ...
and Commonwealth Youth Exchange Programme and cooperates with other National Youth Councils in European through the BBCplus cooperation of National Youth Council A National Youth Council is a representative body made up of youth organizations and young people in a particular state or nation. Many were formed after the second world war to attend the World Festival of Youth and later the World Assembly of Yo ...
s in Europe.
See also
*National Council for Voluntary Youth Services
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) was a membership network of over 200 voluntary and community organisations, as well as local and regional networks, that work with and for young people across England. The organisation cl ...
*UK Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament has 369 members, who are elected to represent the views of young ...
*National Children's Bureau
The National Children’s Bureau works collaboratively across the issues affecting children to influence policy and get services working together to deliver a better childhood.
Established in 1963, they have been at the forefront of campaigning f ...
*The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...
*Children's Commissioner for England
The Office of the Children's Commissioner for England is a non-departmental public body in England responsible for promoting and protecting the rights of children as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well ...
*The National Youth Agency
The National Youth Agency (NYA) is an educational charity in England and Wales that works in partnership with a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organizations to support and improve services for young people.
The NYA's particul ...
*Children's Rights Alliance for England
Children's Rights Alliance For England (CRAE) is a London-based advocacy group that aims to protect children's rights in the UK. Since 2015, it has operated as part of the children's charity Just for Kids Law.
CRAE was founded in 1991 to monito ...
References
{{European Youth Forum
Political_youth_organisations_based_in_the_United_Kingdom
Youth councils
Youth model government
Youth empowerment organizations
Charities based in London
Political organisations based in London
Youth organisations based in London
1948 establishments in the United Kingdom
Youth organizations established in 1948