Brighton & Hove Youth Council

About the Brighton and Hove Youth Council

Brighton & Hove Youth Council (BHYC) is made up of young people aged 13 to 19 (and up to aged 25 with SEND). These young people are elected or nominated from local schools, colleges or youth groups within Brighton and Hove.

What the Youth Council does

BHYC listens to the voices and experiences of young people and acts on issues that are a priority for young people. The Youth Council aims to represent all young people’s views and opinions and influence decisions made by politicians, councillors and other local and national decision makers.

The Youth Council actively promotes article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, which says: “Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account”.

Help to develop your skills

Being a member of the youth council, you will be able to develop your skills in:

• public speaking
• knowledge of politics and current affairs
• debating
• teamwork and leadership
• negotiation
• organising campaigns
• running focus groups

Listening

In 2024 the Youth Council ran the Make Your Mark consultation with young people aged 11 to 18 years old across Brighton and Hove. 

They reached over 3,700 young people and the top issues were:

• health and wellbeing
• education and learning
• jobs, economy and benefits
• rights, equalities and democracy
• culture, media and sport
• climate change and environment
• crime and safety
• transport
• international relations
• youth work and young people's services

What our Youth Councillors say

“My favourite part of youth council is getting to speak to other young people from across the city and to get to share ideas and communicate with lots of people with different opinions to create the best ideas and solutions” Finn from the Hangleton & Knoll Project.

“I love youth council because of the diverse, open, and fun community we have. As well as being united by the important decisions we make for young people, all of the youth council members genuinely enjoy each other’s company and hearing each other’s perspectives, fostering a sense of community behind the work we do.” Melissa from Varndean College and B&H Citizens.

Learn more about Youth Council

If you want to see more of what the Youth Council do, you can follow us on Instagram: BHyouthcouncil.

If you’d like to know more about Youth Council or to get involved, either speak to your school or youth group leader.