Background & membership

Dorchester Youth Council (DYC) was reestablished in 2022 following the pandemic which saw the closure of the previous Youth Council and the youth forum Dorchester Youth Extra.

Membership of Dorchester Youth Council is open to all young people between the ages of 13 and 19 who live, work or attend school or college in the town.

The group meet monthly with additional activities and subgroup meetings in between.

Dorchester Town Council very much value the Youth Council and welcome the input of young people in helping to shape the work of the Council and the future of the town.

The group is facilitated by the Community Development Officer, Emma Scott and the Development Assistant, Connie Hollings.

Funding for the group comes from Dorchester Town Council as well as a wide range of external funders including Dorset Council, Magna Housing, the Dorset Community Foundation, and the Poundbury Community Trust amongst others.

The group are independent of the Council with their own constitution and set of policies as well as their own bank account.

Aims and Objectives

  • Dorchester Youth Council will represent and communicate the views of young people of Dorchester.
  • Dorchester Youth Council will work with other organisations in the town to help promote the views of young people & to make other services aware of young people’s views and needs.
  • Dorchester Youth Council will work to further the understanding of young people by the wider community.
  • Dorchester Youth Council will promote local action in response to identified needs and concerns of young people.
    Dorchester Youth Council create opportunities for young people with a broad range of backgrounds, experience and abilities to organise and participate in activities and events within their local community.
  • Dorchester Youth Council will scrutinise the work of Dorchester Town Council and report its findings directly to Dorchester Town Council’s Full Council meetings.

Projects and activities

The Youth Council is led by the young people who identify activities they would like to deliver.

These include events like the popular annual Anonymous Festival and other events aimed at young people – such as open mic nights, sustainable fashion events and cinema events.

Youth Council members also attend and support a number of Town Council lead events such as Love Parks, Holiday Hangout and the Roman Festival.

They also identify key issues around which to campaign and are currently prioritising supporting young people with their mental health and well-being. The Youth Council are in the process of devising a resource to help enable other young people to access professional support when they need it which they hope will be rolled out countywide.

The young people are regularly consulted, both by the Town Council and external bodies such as the NHS, where they are able to shape decision making on issues that affect them.

Through involvement with the Youth Council, young people can develop a range of skills, such as fundraising, event management and public speaking. They also receive training for instance in food hygiene and first aid.

To date (April 2025) the young people have collectively contributed over 1350 volunteering hours to the town.

 

For more information and to get involved, contact Emma at: e.scott@dorchester-tc.gov.uk