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Body image a key pledge for Youth Cabinet in year ahead

Latest news in Yorkshire: November 18, 2017 09:29:34 AM

Members of Rotherham’s Youth Cabinet are urging other youngsters to be confident with their body image as part of a raft of measures they want to focus on in the year ahead.

The issue forms part of their Youth Cabinet manifesto, which they are launching at the Town Hall tonight at 5.00 pm.

They are planning to work with Rotherham partners, including health and Council leaders, to launch a conference for young people on this issue and also create a film to help educate people around body image.

“Body image is a huge issue for our generation, especially with the rise of social media,” said Toni Paxford, aged 18, from the Youth Cabinet. “Friends of mine have told me they have skipped meals or avoided going out with family and friends because they say they feel fat, which is just heart-breaking.

“We need young people to feel proud of whom they are, whatever shape, size or colour they are. They need to not feel judged by this, or by what they wear, by others. We are all born equal and people need to remember this as they grow up which is why we want to draw attention to this subject and help people feel better about themselves. That is why we feel it is important that we raise awareness of this issue.”

Other items the Youth Cabinet will be looking at in the year ahead include increasing opportunities for young people to take part in positive work experience, by highlighting where they can find good work experience and volunteering opportunities. They also want to increase opportunities for mental health first aid training which will help raise awareness of mental health, enabling people to support themselves and others to aid recovery.

They will continue to work with bus and transport companies and partnerships to address issues raised by young people in Rotherham and will support further roll out of the Child Friendly Borough initiative. Key to this initiative is making sure all young people feel their voices are heard and listened to.

Through the Child Friendly initiative the group aim to give a voice to the town’s young people and help them shape their community.

Cllr Gordon Watson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s services at Rotherham Council added: “It is great to see young people taking such a lead on these really important issues. The Youth Cabinet have done some great work over the last few years and reading their manifesto it is clear they want to continue to do even more great work in the year to come. I wish them every success for the year ahead.”

The Youth Cabinet will unveil its 2017/18 manifesto at the Town Hall to a gathering of guests.

Members of the Youth Cabinet are also celebrating after their youth worker Sarah Bellamy, who provides support for the group from the Council, won Youth Voice Worker of the Year at the last week’s British Youth Council national awards.

The group is also out to recruit new members and encourage more young people to have a say through the Your Voice initiative. For more information:

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