WHAT HAS IT ACHIEVED?

An annual budget (originally £300, now £400) has been used to provide:

• Recycling guide (in conjunction with 'Friends of the Earth)


• Installation of litter bins in the town


• Public seat (with plaque) in Mandeville Road


• Sensory Garden in Castle Grounds


• Board for above, replacement litterbin and modified seats.


• Customer Care Award for shops & businesses, 1996, 1998 & 2001


• Tree in Parliament Square.


• Wildlife Information Board for children's play area.


• Leisure Survey of young people.


• Recycling Poster Competition for primary schools.


• Organisation of Holocaust Memorial Day ceremonies.


• Helped plant a peace pole at the Quakers meeting house in Railway Street.


• Helped in the installation of the No Right Turn at Tower St. and Crossroads in Bengeo

In 2007 Sele School hosted a twinning event of competitive games, titled The Sprit Of Sport. This entailed Hertford Twin Towns, Wildeshausen and Evron, bringing youth from their communities to compete with each other and ourselves. The YTC helped out at this event, and in doing so were awarded with a grant.

Hopefully the Youth Council has also achieved its objective - that of helping young people to understand how local government works, and how decisons are made which affect their home area.

CURRENT PROJECTS

These will be updated as we progress with the projects

We are working to try and install a bus shelter at The Dell, as there isn't one there at the moment.

We are looking into the traffic problems in Bengeo, such as people who ignore the No Right Turn at crossroads and other issues.

We are also trying to reduce the amount of rubbish found at the Hertford skate park.

WHAT ELSE DOES IT DO?

The Youth Council is an enabling group rather than a volunteer work-force. However, Youth Councillors help with public events in the same way as senior councillors. This may include helping with Castle Open Days, Medieval Night etc., and attending occasions such as Civic Services and Mayor-Making.

ARE OTHERS INVOLVED?

Meetings are chaired by the Mayor or one of the councillors if he/she is unable to attend. Councillor Peter Ruffles is the Founding Father and adviser, and Trish Goldsmith is our secretary. Occasionally visitors are invited to meetings to give more information about a particular topic, or to find out about Hertford's Youth Council with a view to setting up a group in their own area.

NATIONAL CONFERENCES AND VISITS

Hertford Youth Town Council has been represented at National Youth Council Conferences in the past years. Youth Councillors have also attended a meeting of Swale Youth Council in Kent, and visited the House of Commons three times as guests of our local MP. We have also arranged a visit to Hertford's Twin Towns in France and Germany; Evron and Wildeshausen.