The first ever Dorset Youth Summit saw more than 130 young people from diverse backgrounds 'make their voices heard'. 

Held at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester, the summit aimed to help young people overcome social barriers which prevent them from expressing their opinions, whether at school, in their communities and within the county.

Funded by Dorset County Council, the event brought together pupils from ten schools, from different backgrounds and ages to discuss challenges they face individually and collectively.

Event organiser and representative of the Dorset Youth Council, Archie Rowell, aged 16, from Beaminster Secondary School said: “Our message to children is that your voice matters, whatever your age – and you can be heard in the community if you shout load enough.

"This exciting new event is an opportunity for young people to put their voices together and pitch their ideas collectively to decision-makers in the community.”

The students came up with a list of barriers they all faced including not knowing who to contact about making changes in their communities and lack of confidence in speaking to decision-makers. 

They also agreed that limited public transport and poor broadband in rural areas were issues for younger people.

For the second half of the day, the students were joined by around 30 influential people from across the county, including the county council, Dorset Police, the NHS and Dorset County Museum. 

The aim was to bring decision makers and young people together and the visitors listened to the students' issues and together, they explored ways to remove barriers.

Councillor Pauline Batstone, the county council's member champion for diversity said: “The Youth Summit was great event, with young people of all ages humming and buzzing with ideas. For us as councillors, the challenge is to make sure we include these young citizens in our decision-making locally whenever we can, and not let the enthusiasm drop.”

The event was organised by the Participation People, a company which specialises in youth participation and the next stage of the project will see youth organisers put together a report which will be sent to decision-makers and student councils. 

The Youth Council will then take the lead on making changes.