Stratford District Youth Council reports on their achievements over 2021

Stratford District youth councillors. Photo / Supplied

With Covid-19 hitting the world again, 2021 has been a tough year for Stratford District Youth Council.

Many of our events were cancelled and we had to learn to adapt to the 'new normal'.

We were reintroduced to Zoom over the lockdown period to hold our online meetings, we even elected a new co-chairperson through Zoom, which was certainly a challenge to uphold our traditional blind-voting system while we were all on the other side of a screen.

Prior to lockdown, as long ago as that feels, we had the opportunity to hold several events and activities.

At our swearing-in ceremony in March, we welcomed four new youth councillors to our ranks and had our annual camp at Te Wera the following month. This was an opportunity for all our youth councillors to get to know each other and review what Youth Council meant to us. For many, this was the highlight of our year.

One key aspect of Youth Council is our close relationship with the council and the community.

Key achievements for 2021 include our input on the Stratford Bike Park committee, our submission to the council Long Term Plan and our involvement in getting the Victoria skate park some much-needed maintenance.

Due to Covid-19, we could only hold one of our popular 'On the Bus' events this year; this involved providing a new Go Karting experience to 30 local youth.

Our mission as a Youth Council is to give youth a voice and provide opportunities within the Stratford Community.

In the coming year, we aim to deliver a new set of events designed to operate under the traffic light system.

Applications to become a Stratford District youth councillor are currently open. If you are interested in making a difference and representing youth in the community apply through our online form at stratford.govt.nz.

For more information, keep up with our social media on Facebook and Instagram. We hope to see everyone enjoying our events and being active around Stratford in 2022.