Hundreds of young people from across the country added their voices to the election debate this year by taking part in YMCA hustings events.
Young people and staff from YMCAs in Birmingham, Norfolk and south west London, among other communities, tackled local candidates in events organised by the national young person’s charity. The events have been running all over the country since 15 April to help young people from the YMCA engage in the General Election.
The hustings followed on from the release of the charity’s manifesto, entitled ‘We Believe’, which outlines key recommendations for the future government around accommodation, health and wellbeing, family work and training and education for young people.
Supporters can sign up to pledge their support to the manifesto at https://www.ymca.org.uk/what-we-do/policy/manifesto
One young person who took part was 20-year-old YMCA Apprentice, Amber Edwards. She was in the audience at the Big Election Debate run by YMCA Norfolk in partnership with MAP, Break, the Benjamin Foundation and Open. Candidates from UKIP, Green, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservative parties were all present at the event.
Amber said: “I was nervous before going to the debate because I was worried the candidates would talk about policies I didn’t know anything about.
“But when I got to the venue, there were huge queues of young people waiting to get in and we all got a chance to write down a question we wanted answering from the five candidates.
“I’m a lot more engaged with the General Election now and it seems less scary to me.
“Politics is such animportant thing to know about and it’s great that the YMCA was actively involved in this debate. If not, its young people would not have had the chance to ask questions that were important to them.”
Hostel resident Tracey-Anne Clarke, from Birmingham YMCA, was another young person who took part, attending a similar hustings event on Monday 20 April.
She said: “I’m glad the events were held as it gave us the chance to ask questions about things that matter to young people, such as employment. I think (any future) government should focus on getting young people into training because that is something I personally struggle with.
“Young people are the up and coming generation and we should be more involved in politics because our votes count. I will certainly be voting on 7 May.”
YMCA is the largest and the oldest charity working with young people in the world, operating in 530 communities across England and supporting 600,000 people a year.
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England, said: “We believe all young people should have a voice within society and be engaged fully in local and national democracy.
“Our hustings events are focussed on starting this engagement and giving our young people, and others in the local community, the chance to play an active and very important role in this election campaign.
“We believe passionately that, in order to build thriving communities and a brighter future, young people simply have to get their voices heard.
“This election is a chance to put them at the forefront of policy. By taking part in our events, asking questions and getting involved in debate, our young people are showing that they care about politics and that they are determined to make a difference.”
YMCA Hustings events have taken place in Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Redditch, Surbiton, Birmingham, Wimbledon, Wellington and Grimsby with further events planned for Romford, Newcastle and Bolton on 23 April; Worcester on 24 April; Bournemouth on 28 April; and Bedfordshire on 29 April.