Get your voice heard

GETTING your voice heard as a teenager can be difficult.

You can't vote and so it can feel as if you can't have a say.

Every young person has an opinion and regardless of their age should be able to voice it and have it listened to.

There are a number of different initiatives that have been set up so that young people can have precisely that- a voice.

Since 2010, my local town council have had a Youth Advisory Scheme where I and two other young people attend the monthly town council meeting.

We voice young people's concerns and join in with the councillor's debates, sharing a young person's perspective.

It's a fantastic way for young people to get involved in local politics and get their voices heard.

It also works well because the youth advisors feed back to other young people- giving everyone the chance to voice an opinion.

But not all local councils have set up such schemes.

There are still other ways you can get involved in the local community.

A prime example of a county-wide initiative is the Dorset Youth Council (DYCE).

It meets once a month at County Hall and is a fantastic way for young people from all over the county to discuss issues that affect them.

DYCE also starts campaigns to improve the lives of young people, from trying to improve transport to accessing more facilities.

Through the Youth Advisory Scheme and through DYCE, young people are being given the opportunity to develop life skills as well as being given a platform to voice their opinions and issues in their local community.