Newly appointed Highland Youth Convener Lauren McKittrick wants to ‘empower the young people of the Highlands’
Lauren McKittrick from Inverness has become the 16th young person to take up the role of Highland Youth Convener since 2007.
As Highland Youth Convener, Lauren will aim to represent young people’s views and act as a sounding board for youth issues considered at the local authority.
She will provide a link between elected members and senior officials at Highland Council and attend relevant council and community planning partnership meetings.
The Highland Youth Convener role is a full-time bursary position that runs for 12 months which will see Lauren work closely with young people across the north.
She will also connect through the Highland Youth Parliament, area youth forums and pupil councils in secondary schools.
Lauren attended her first Education Committee meeting at the council last Thursday where the chairman Councillor John Finlayson welcomed her to the role.
He said: “We all look forward to her future participation and contribution at future Council meetings, representing the youth voice of Highland.”
Lauren said: “Over the course of the year, I will be collating the views expressed, and passing them on to local organisations, Highland Council and community planning partners, ensuring that young people have a voice in the decisions that affect them and their wider community.
“My aim is to ensure that there are opportunities for each and every young person in the Highlands to develop their skills and interests to promote their well-being.
“I will be working hard to remove established barriers to opportunities, as well as partnering with local organisations to create more chances for young people to get involved with their community such as through music, the arts, sports and so on.
“I am keen to provide a platform to those whose voices often go unheard, therefore I will be making visits to clubs, charities, and schools a priority throughout the year. I will make active efforts to reach out to those young people needing more support, for example, young people who are refugees, military families, home schoolers, young carers and care experienced young people, linking in with and supporting existing projects where I can.”
She added: “Ultimately, I hope to empower the young people of the Highlands with the knowledge that their voices matter and are heard while also allowing them the opportunity for personal growth regardless of barriers that are presented.”
Michael Golding, Chair of High Life Highland added: “ She will play a pivotal role in representing our area’s young people in the coming year. I am sure that Lauren will find the role very rewarding and we all very much look forward to working with her.”
Bill Lobban, Convener of The Highland Council said: “The Highland Youth Convener post is a really important role in helping us better understand and engage with issues affecting our Young People. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lauren to the job and wish her every success.”
Raymond Bremner, Leader of The Highland Council, added: “The youth across Highland are valued and how Highland is shaped for their present and future is vitally important. It’s imperative that their views and aspirations for the future are clearly heard and listened to by the various organisations operating here and that they are involved in decision making processes. I welcome Lauren to her new role and look forward to working with her over the next year.”
