95 young people’s voices heard at bi-annual Joint Cabinet

Young people from across North Ayrshire met with the decision-makers of North Ayrshire Council during National Youth Work Week 2025.

The bi-annual Joint Cabinet at Saltcoats Town Hall welcomed pupils from across our six localities, with Arran joining virtually to be part of the action - pupils on the island will be working directly with Member of Scottish Youth Parliament Emma Henderson to feedback on what was discussed.

Opened by Council Leader Marie Burns, the event is hosted twice a year alongside the council’s Community Learning and Development team, and the latest lively morning session took place on Tuesday 4 November 2025 at Saltcoats Town Hall.

A landmark #YouthParticipation event for young people between the ages of 12-25, the meeting is delivered by North Ayrshire Youth Work and the council’s team of Youth Work Modern Apprentices for pupils to tackle a range of hard-hitting issues.

Joint Cabinet is the latest in a series of joint meetings involving North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet, senior education managers and other senior officers alongside Members of Scottish Youth Parliament and the Youth Council Executive.

Almost 100 pupils representing the secondary schools of Irvine Royal, Greenwood, St Matthew’s, Kilwinning, Largs, Auchenharvie, Ardrossan, Garnock Community Campus and Lockhart Campus gave it their all in the action-packed session.

Council Leader Marie Burns opened the event sharing: “Thank you to pupils from across North Ayrshire for attending our 32nd Joint Cabinet meeting.

“I am blown away by how many young people have attended this important meeting. It is encouraging to see so many young people stepping up to have their say and speak truth to power on issues affecting them.

“Joint Cabinet is just one of many youth participation events underway this year including National Youth Work Week, Youth Forum, P7 Youth Conference and locality-based meetings happening in local youth forums andPupil Parliaments.

“The feedback gained will ensure that young people’s views and perspectives are taken into account when the council makes decisions affecting them, their schools and local area.”

In a conversation cafe format, the discussions on the day centred around key themes that had been decided upon by young people prior to the event, including:

• Alcohol and drugs, where pupils discussed concerns, health harms and community impact

• Risk taking behaviour, discussing consequences and sharing views on early intervention, risk-awareness and restorative justice

• Child Poverty, looking at the council’s Child Poverty Action Plan, the impact on young people and how families can access help without stigma

• Positive Relationships and Wellbeing, talking about alternatives to exclusion from school and how to maintain relationships with friends, school, and beyond

• Employability Pathways, including modern apprenticeships, digital and cyber opportunities, how to access support and what work experience activities young people want

Cabinet Member for Education and Young People Councillor Shaun Macaulay, also in attendance said:“Joint Cabinet is always a wonderful event to hear the voices in the room from pupils and young people across North Ayrshire who then have the opportunity to speak to local councillors, the council’s Cabinet and executive directors.

“The young people have come up with some innovativeideas when it comes to the difficult decisions the council has to make on matters affecting young people at school and in our communities.

“The feedback gathered really helps us to inform our decision making and ensure the council is upholding its commitment to ensure that young people are listened to, respected and acted upon.

“Thank you to North Ayrshire Youth Work and the Community Learning and Development team for all the hard work happening behind the scenes and to the young people who really stepped up and made their voices heard.”

Young People’s Champion, Councillor Chloé Robertson added: “The theme of this year’s National Youth Work Week centred around building brighter futures and safe spaces for young people to thrive.

“Youth voice powered by our dedicated North Ayrshire Youth Work team is an essential part of this to ensure that our young people have safe and accessible spaces where they can be supported and empowered to speak up on what matters to them and learn more about how their local authority operates and where to find support locally.

“The energising morning was a brilliant example of the true power that the youth voice in action has, and the council’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“I am proud of each and every young person who had the courage to share their perspective and unique point of view at last week’s Joint Cabinet meeting.”

During the round-table discussions, the format included a combination of listening to the experience of young people directly and encouraging attendees to scan a QR code and contribute online via the Council’s Youth Participation digital platform.

If you are a young person who couldn’t attend but would like to also have your voice heard, or want to get involved in youth work in your area, email: youthwork@north-ayrshire.gov.uk