We were recently invited to an event at the British Museum called ‘Circles of Influence’ on behalf of Children’s Express (CE), a charity for young people aged 8-18 to voice their opinions by producing articles, creating radio packages and making films.
Over 200 young people aged 11-18 attended the event, which was organised by the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP).
There were also government representatives there including 7 ministers. One of them was Tessa Jowell who is the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Another one was Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families.
The aim of this event was to discuss issues concerning young people in the UK and provide an opportunity for their voices to be heard by the ministers.
Attending the event made me aware of current problems, some of which I was not conscious of before. Discussing the issues made me realise how important minister’s jobs actually are and made me more sympathetic with what they have to do. During the day various topics were deliberated by members of the UKYP, MP’s and other young people from around the UK, including Children's Express.
People who took part in these debates were grouped into 2 circles, the inner circle and the outer circle. The inner circle included members of the UKYP and MP’s. The outer circle included everyone else. We were put into the debate about culture, media and sport. Tessa Jowell and writer Maggie Gee were there, as part of the inner circle. We were part of the outer circle. One of the things we discussed was the portrayal of young people in the media. I felt this was needed, as the media tends to concentrate on the negative aspects of young people rather then the positive, which is unjust.
I went prepared to interview a range of people, however most of them did not turn up or left early. I was disappointed about this, as the event only occurs once a year and people who are said to attend should reserve the day for the event. Hopefully, the people who are said to come will come next year. This would make the experience more motivating.
However, a question and answer session was held later that day with Beverly Hughes. I was able to ask her a question relating to young asylum seekers in the UK, which is what I am doing a story about at CE. It also helped me gain some of knowledge as to what Beverly Hughes thought about young people.
I would like to see another event take place next year or some time soon, regarding the issues that were discussed so the people who attended would know if they were dealt with. Overall, this event was beneficial and enjoyable.
About this team
This story was produced by Ginisha Sadasivan, 15, from our London newsroom. It was published on the G-Nation website.
