Devon Youth Council
About us
Devon Youth Council is a group of 11-23 year olds (up to 25 if you have any additional needs) who aim to get the voice of young people heard and make a positive change.
Devon Youth Council Network members have the opportunity to work alongside Devon’s key decision makers, and there’s also access to free training and support to help to get your voice heard. If you want to make a difference in your community or bring about a positive change surrounding a specific issue, then Devon Youth Council can help support you to do this.
The Devon Youth Council Network incorporates our SEND Network for Change and our Stand Up Speak Up council for care-experienced young people, but anyone can join the broader Youth Council. The diagram below sets out how we all work together.
Join us!
If you’d like to join the Devon Youth Council, please complete the membership form. You can also sign up to receive the Devon Youth Council newsletter.
For more information about Devon Youth Council and associated groups, please email participation@devon.gov.uk.
What’s being done?
Our action tracker sets out what Devon County Council and its partners have done taken in response to the issues that you have said matter most to you.
Our mental health survey
Young people in Devon have told us that mental health is a top issue for them, so we have created a survey to better understand what support for mental health is needed in schools and colleges.
SEND Network for Change
Our SEND Network for Change aims to create youth voice opportunities for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Find out more about our SEND Network for Change.
Stand Up Speak Up
Stand Up Speak Up is The voice of Devon’s care-experienced young people. You can meet others with similar experiences, have fun and help improve the services that support you.
Find out more about Stand Up Speak Up.
Youth Parliament
In 2024, we made the decision not to run UK Youth Parliament elections here in Devon, as we want to focus our attention on growing our Devon Youth Council Network. After taking this decision, we learnt that British Youth Council folded and there is no national organisation facilitating the work of the UK Youth Parliament.
This means there are no elected Members of Youth Parliament for Devon, but our Devon Youth Council Network will be working together to get the voice of Devon young people heard. This will include linking in with other national organisations so that the voice of Devon young people is heard locally, regionally and nationally.
We will continue to keep track of what is happening nationally for the UK Youth Parliament, and we anticipate that we will elect new Members of Youth Parliament once this programme is re-established.