Packed programme of activities to celebrate local democracy
Lancaster City Council has organised a packed programme of activities for children and young people to find out more about the council and the services it provides.
Lancaster City Council has organised a packed programme of activities for children and young people to find out more about the council and the services it provides.
The programme kicked off on Friday (October 10) when 52 pupils from Stepping Stones School, Moorside Primary School and St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School took part in an environment day at Morecambe Town Hall.
Activities included a lively environmental debate, handy hygiene tips and the ever popular Pupil Power game, in which the children were given a range of council services and asked which they would like to fund.
The trick of the game is that with only £15million to spend and services that add up to £20.5million, there's not enough cash to fund everything.
The children also met Lancaster City Council's rat catching pooch, Dillon, and found out more about why it is important to always dispose of rubbish responsibly.
The activities will be repeated this Friday (October 17) with pupils from Bolton-le-Sands primary.
Coun Keith Budden, the mayor of Lancaster, said: "Events such as these are a great way of encouraging young people to become involved with politics and democracy.
“It is extremely important that they are aware of how and why their local council operates so they can access the full range of services available to them and become involved with the democratic process.
"These events also give the council the opportunity to talk to young people and discuss what they think of our services and what they would like us to provide in the future."
In addition to the environment day, 60 Year 7 pupils from Morecambe High and Heysham High will gather in Morecambe Town Hall's council chamber on Wednesday (October 15) to take part in ‘Mock Election Day’.
Faced with representatives from the Christmas Party, Sport Education Party and the Pocket Money Party, they will be asked to vote for the person they think shares their ideals and would make the best councillor.
Following on from the mock election the young people will take part in a series of quizzes to test their knowledge about what the council does along with an opportunity to participate in a mock council meeting, which will bring the day to a close.
Date Updated: 19/03/09