Make Your Mark is the biggest youth consultation across the UK and offers a unique and invaluable opportunity for young people to have their say on what issues are the most important to them.
I first took part in Make Your Mark when I was running for Youth Parliament in 2022 and my Local Authority had amazingly high turnout. I think that young people in Hartlepool are always really passionate about topics that reoccur in Make Your Mark.
In my campaigning, I made sure to have a massive social media push, as it is often the best way to capture the attention of young people, as well as campaigning within my secondary school at the time. But, it was not only young people who took notice, it was the parents, carers and guardians of young people who shared my campaign and Make Your Mark Resources.
The Youth Service also worked hard to make sure the campaign reached as many young people as it could. They did this through social media but also primarily through schools. Every secondary school and higher education setting (college and sixth forms) was contacted to make sure that they took part in the election and campaign. Resources, along with those made by The British Youth Council, were provided to ensure that staff understood and were able to pass on the same message to students.
This year, the same method is being used again with similar success and I’m able to have a much more hands-on role to ensure that the campaign reaches as many young people as possible.