UK Youth Parliament
 |
|
| Abbreviation | UKYP |
|---|---|
| Motto | Making Our Mark |
| Formation | 9 June 1998 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
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Region served
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United Kingdom |
|
Membership
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c. 600 |
|
Official language
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English |
|
Parent organization
|
British Youth Council |
| Affiliations | Scottish Youth Parliament, Young Mayors Network, Funky Dragon and Northern Ireland Youth Forum |
| Website | ukyouthparliament.org.uk |
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament has around 600 members, who are elected to represent the views of young people in their area to government and service providers. Over 500,000 young people vote in the elections each year, which are held in at least 90 percent of constituencies. It is managed by the British Youth Council.
Members meet regularly to hold debates and plan campaigns at least three times locally a year and on a twice national level, which includes the annual debate within the Chamber of the House of Commons every November. Young people hold important positions throughout the organisation's management, and it has been endorsed by the majority of the UK's political parties.
Those elected for UKYP hold the suffix of MYP (Member of the UK Youth Parliament), or DMYP (Deputy Member of the UK Youth Parliament) in their names.
The concept of a United Kingdom Youth Parliament first arose at an event in Coventry entitled "Heirs To The Millennium". After the event, the MP Andrew Rowe and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and youth worker Kate Parish began to develop a proposal for the youth advocacy group. In 1998, a steering committee was formed, led by Andrew Rowe and chaired by a young person named James Moody.
In 2000, Malcolm Wicks, Department for Education and Employment, agreed to employ a member of staff who would work full-time on developing the UK Youth Parliament alongside Kate Parish. Soon after, the first elections for the UK Youth Parliament were held, with the first Annual Sitting being held in February 2000.
There is wide debate over who was key to the formation of the UK Youth Parliament with several people trying to claim that they were key to its formation
A Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) works with MPs, service providers, and decision makers in order to present the views of their constituents to them. Deputy Members of Youth Parliament are also elected, although not every MYP has a deputy. Deputies work with and support their Member of Youth Parliament locally and regionally, but are not entitled to attend the Annual Sitting or other national events – unless their MYP is unable to.
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