It is great to see the amazing work of the Oldham Youth Council is being held up as an example which is planned to be rolled out across the country in the UK Government new Pride in Place Strategy.
I was proud to be the leader at the time when they were the first youth council in the UK to be formally recognised in the local council’s constitution, giving them constitutional powers to submit motions at full council meetings so their voices and the issues they feel are important are heard and debated.
I’ve also been privileged to work alongside the OYC has led several high-impact campaigns driven by young people including the ground-breaking Votes at 16 private members bill we worked on together and which is now set to become law!
And they’ve lead on campaigns like Every Life Matters – a campaign after a fatal road accidents, resulting in speed-reduction measures and wider awareness work for young drivers, and the important mental health & wellbeing initiatives: “I Love Me”, “SNAP! Mental Health”, and others where youth councillors have designed awareness-raising work and influenced local health education policy.
These examples show how OYC doesn’t just ‘sit’ – it acts: gathering views, creating campaigns that matter to young people, influencing real council decisions, and helping shape the policies and services that impact their lives.
With the new Pride in Place Strategy now encouraging other areas to follow Oldham’s lead by March 2026 in establishing new Youth Councils, it feels like a moment where youth participation is finally being taken seriously by national government.
Oldham is rightly being recognised, and I’m so pleased the Oldham Youth Council is growing it’s impact all the time.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 