Articles

Council to host first Democracy Day

Date Posted: 12:07 PM on Wed, 13 September 2023

Gedling Borough Council is to host its first Democracy Day aimed at engaging with young people about how a council works and the importance of them taking part in future elections.

Students from local schools will be taking part in events at the Council on Friday 15 September. Primary school children will be given a guided tour of the council chamber, meet Councillors, including the Mayor of Gedling, and take part in a debate on how the Council could achieve its target of becoming net-zero by 2030.

Sixth form politics students will also be meeting Councillors and the Mayor. They will be taking part in an interactive exercise to look at how Council budgets work and they will also see a presentation from the Youth Council Mayor, who will be taking part in a special Q&A to highlight their work.

As well as these school visits, there will also be an information stand on the day, in the main Civic Centre foyer to promote the council’s democratic services to people visiting the Council. There will be details about how people can sign up to vote, the Voter ID rules as well as a form to register interest to join the Youth Council.

The event is part of an international day of celebration that serves as a platform to spread awareness about the democratic process, what local councillors do and how residents can contribute their ideas to local government.

Councillor Kathryn Fox, Portfolio Holder for Life Chances and Vulnerability said

“Democracy Day is a unique chance for our local youth to gain valuable insights into democracy, local government, and important council topics such as environmental sustainability. It’s so important that we are empowering our future leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to actively participate in our democratic society.

We look forward to hosting these talented young individuals and hope that Democracy Day will inspire them to become active and engaged citizens of Gedling Borough.”