In my Communities in Control White Paper I committed to making sure that people can have their say and feel that government is listening to their opinions. As part of that I had the pleasure yesterday of meeting two of my new Youth Advisers, Jacqueline Macaulay and Rory Birch who will act as a 'voice for young people' in my department.
We talked about what they thought successful communities could and should be, and I asked them to have a think about how we can keep local parks and town centres free of vandalism, as well as what they think of the plans for green spaces in the Thames Gateway. You can watch a clip to see how it went on youtube.
I heard about how Rory plans on integrating his local neighbourhoods by organising five-a-side matches, and how Jacqueline helped design her local school uniforms - it was inspiring to how much they have invested in changing their communities for the better. I'm passionate about getting a new generation of young adults interested in politics and voting, and it's great to see the energy and enthusiasm these two have shown in making a difference to their communities.
I'll be meeting with Jacqueline, Rory and the other seven members of the Youth Advisor panel regularly over the coming months to hear their opinions on all the different issues that affect young people - from homelessness to community cohesion. I'm looking forward to learning more about their thoughts and ideas for the future of their communities.