Congleton's new Youth Council is officially up and running.

A dozen young people aged between 10 and 17 recently attended the council's inaugural meeting at Congleton Town Hall.

During the meeting, members elected their first officers, with Barney Mitcheson and Sadie Kirk appointed as co-chairs.

Sadie said: "The first meeting felt very welcoming and everyone had a chance to speak.

"It's great to know that our opinions will be listened to and that we can help shape things for young people in Congleton."

Co-chairs Sadie Kirk and Barney Mitcheson (Credit: CTC)

The meeting began with an energiser activity, 'Draw a Politician', designed to show that anyone can be a politician and that, as youth councillors, the group is already representing their community.

A key part of the meeting focused on identifying priorities for young people in Congleton, building on the findings of a youth workshop held last year.

advertisement

The group discussed the idea of creating a youth café, sharing creative ideas about what it could look like and the activities it could offer, such as movie nights, board games and live music.

The next step will be to explore potential funding to help make these ideas a reality, and the Youth Council would like to hear from any business or charity that might be able to help with sponsorship.

Co-Chair Barney Mitcheson said: "It was really exciting to see so many young people get involved and to hear their ideas.

"The youth café looks like a promising way to create a safe and fun space for young people in our town."

During the meeting, youngsters were aksed to 'draw a politician' (Credit: CTC)

The Congleton Youth Council will now meet monthly at the Town Hall.

There are still a few places available and any young person who would like to take part is encouraged to get in touch by emailing [email protected] with the subject line 'Youth Council'.