Make Your Mark 2020 Highlights

Introduction

This report details the results of the ‘Make Your Mark’ youth consultation held in 2020, focusing on the result locally in Devon and with reference to Regional & National Results. This work was led in Devon by Devon Youth Parliament, with support from the Participation Team in Children’s Services (Devon County Council).

Summary

➢ 3667 young people took part across Devon.

➢ The top 3 National issues across the UK were; 1. Free University 2. Stop Plastic Pollution 3. Support Our Mental Health N.B These are not the same as the issues selected as the 2021 Campaigns

➢ Top 3 Local Issues across the UK were 1. Domestic Violence 2. Homelessness 3. Access to training & jobs

➢ Top 3 National issues across Devon 1. Support our Mental Health 2. Free University 3. Take Action on the Climate Emergency

➢ Top 3 Local Issues across Devon 1. Domestic Violence 2. Homelessness 3. Access to training & jobs

➢ Devon Youth Parliament will be; o Publicising these results o Campaigning on the top 3 National issues selected by Devon Young People o Working locally on the local issues identified as priorities. o Continue to represent the views of all young people across Devon.

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Background Like many things in 2020, Make Your Mark was different. Make Your Mark continues to be the largest youth led consultation in the UK which this year moved from being primarily paper based to an online vote, supported by UK Parliament.

Make Your Mark invites young people aged 11-18 to vote for one of ten topics they consider the most important nationally as well as what issues are important locally.

National topics were shortlisted by elected members of the UK youth parliament through internal votes and debates while the local issues were collated with local partners based on issues raised which fell within the jurisdiction of local government.

Devon Young People, including our own Members of Youth Parliament spent the months leading up to the ballot contacting schools & youth groups to notify them about the vote. Details of Make Your Mark, and how to take part was shared in the Headteachers Newsletter, the DCFP website, the Devon UK Youth Parliament e-newsletter as well as various social media platforms. In addition to this, members of the UK Youth Parliament and participation workers directly contacted a number of schools within each locality.

Sadly, unlike previous years, Members of the UK Youth Parliament were unable to join together at the House of Commons to debate the top issues and vote for their 2021 Campaign. Instead 3 topics were chosen as the 2021 national campaigns; 1. Free University: We should invest in the young people of today by providing free university. The alternative is that young people will suffer financial hardship and not reach their full potential. (Devolved topic) 2. Support Our Mental Health: More money should be given for young people’s mental health. We should be offered mental health support in schools and ensure that teachers know about mental health. (Devolved topic) 3. Take Action on the Climate Emergency: Stop Plastic Pollution - If we do not take action now, it is predicted that waste plastics will outweigh fish in our oceans by 2050. Let’s reduce single-use and non-essential plastics (UK wide topic)

The Devon Results

This year a total of 3,667 young people in Devon took part in the Make Your Mark ballots. This was from a mixture of schools & youth centres

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This is noticeably lower than previous years but it not comparable to previous years. This is due to an update in population data. Although low, the Turnout rate is similar to the national turnout of 3% and regionally, across the South West the turnout was 2.95%

Across the board the turnout has been noticeably lower than previous years, however much of this can be explained by the Covid-19 situation. In order to reduce physical contact, the vote moved from being predominantly paper based to only online. We also found less schools signed up, and we appreciate that many schools took the autumn term to catch up on schooling lost during the summer term giving less time to extra-curricular activities.

Year No. of Votes Turnout 2020 3,667 2.8%1 2019 6,604 10.12% 2018 7,075 10.04% 2017 9,727 13.8%

Despite the drop in the number of votes, we did see an increase in the number of schools, colleges and youth groups who took part with 34 different organisation taking part, this is compared to 29 last year. All schools, colleges & groups who took part will be sent a copy of this report and results. A list of who took part is available in appendix 1.

The top UK & Devolved Issues for Young People in Devon were; 1. Support our Mental Health (No.2 Nationally) 2. Free University (No.1 Nationally) 3. Take Action on the Climate Emergency (No.5 Nationally) 4. Stop Plastic Pollution (No.3 Nationally) 5. Tackle Child Poverty (No. 4 Nationally) 6. Increase Racial Awareness in the Curriculum (No. 6 Nationally) 7. Tackle Discrimination & Hate Crime in the UK (No. 7 Nationally) 8. Protect human rights (No. 8 Nationally) 9. Include Young people in the plan for Covid-19 Recovery (No. 9 Nationally) 10. Votes at 16 (No. 10 Nationally)

The top local issues for Young People in Devon; 1. Domestic Violence (No.1 Nationally) 2. Homelessness (No.2 Nationally)

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3. Access to training & jobs (No. 3 Nationally) 4. Young people’s voice should be heard in creating local services (No. 5 Nationally) 5. Childhood obesity & food poverty (No.4 Nationally) 6. Leisure & Culture (No.7 Nationally) 7. Transport (No.9 Nationally) 8. End the health postcode lottery (No. 10 Nationally) 9. Access to technology & broadband for learning (No. 6 Nationally) 10. Improve places to go and things to do for young people (No. 8 Nationally)

The Devon results reflect the national picture mirroring the top 5 in both the UK topics & local topic, with just slight changes in the ordering.

We were also able to breakdown the results into localities, providing further detail as to the issues that are important to young people in more localised areas across Devon. Details are included in Appendix 1.

The chart below outlines the percentage vote each National topic got for the whole UK, across Devon & the four localities within Devon. For a more detailed breakdown of votes, including local topics and results for the four localities, please see Appendix 1.

% Votes - National Topics 50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

UK Devon North South East Exeter

The National Results;

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The National results, including a breakdown of each local authority can be found online https://2u6szgq3e9x2hmfuy16guf8q-wpengine.netdna- ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2020-v2-Make-Your-Mark-Results- with-Infographics.pdf

What next?

The 2020 Make Your Mark results will be shared with senior leaders and managers at Devon County Council, including County Councillors, and across the Devon Children and Families Partnership to inform their planning and decision making about the issues that young people tell us they identify as being a priority for Devon.

A copy will also be sent out to all schools and youth centres that took part.

The three National issues selected as the National Campaigns will be worked on here in Devon & our elected MYP’s will follow the BYC guidance on these campaigns.

More locally, here in Devon, our MYPs will continue with their campaigns for a ‘Greener Devon’, Mental Health Support & Transport. Our MYP’s will also begin to explore further the local issues raised through this consultation and how they might be dealt with locally.

Future Planning • Send report to supporters via social media & e-newsletter • Reference MYM results in own election publicity • Develop working relationship with schools throughout the year including using locality workers to contact schools within their area. • Utilise opportunities for co-working across the South West region through BYC. • Contact schools earlier to encourage MYM sign up

For all enquiries please contact Claire Richardson (Participation Team Leader) [email protected]

Footnotes 1) British Youth Council updated their population figures for this year’s Make Your Mark. Previously this was based on the 2011 census but was increased for this year.

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Appendix 1

Exeter St James Space* 100 Club Southbrook School Ellen Tinkham School Explorer Scouts Exeter 19 Exeter Sea Scouts

North College Park Community School Youth Speaks Great Torrington Kingsacre Atlantic Holsworthy Community College Torrington Bluecoats 1st Torrington Scouts Academy College Space*

South TRAYE Young Devon Wellbeing Cafe Teignmouth Community School Coombeshead Community College Space*

East 4th Withycombe Guides The Hive Cullompton Community College Clyst Vale QE School

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Appendix 2

National Topics 1. Support our Mental Health 2. Free University 3. Tackle Child Poverty 4. Stop Plastic Pollution 5. Increase Racial Awareness in the Curriculum 6. Take Action on the Climate Emergency 7. Votes at 16 8. Tackle Discrimination & Hate Crime in the UK 9. Include Young People in the plan for covid-19 recovery. 10. Protect Human Rights

Local Topics 1. Access to training and job 2. Young Peoples voice should be heard in creating local services 3. Leisure & Culture 4. End the health postcode lottery 5. Improve places to go and things to do 6. Access to technology and broadband for learning 7. Childhood obesity & food poverty 8. Homelessness 9. Domestic violence 10. transport

Exeter Exeter - National Topics

46

29

21 16 12 11 6 0 0 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Exeter - Local Topics

42

29

15 15 11 12 11 11 4 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Total 147 votes) 1. Support our mental health 2. Free university 3. Take action on the climate emergency 4. Tackle child poverty 5. Stop plastic pollution 6. Tackle discrimination & hate crime 7. (JOINT) Increase racial awareness in the curiculum & protect human rights

(Total 150 votes) 1. Homelessness 2. Domestic violence 3. (JOINT) Childhood obesity & peoples voice should be heard in creating local services 4. Leisure & culture 5. (JOINT) Access to training and jobs & Access to technology and broadband for learning and Transport 6. End the health postcode lotter 7. Improve places to go and things to do

East

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East - National Topics

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

East - Local Topics

90 81 77

33 31 26 20 13 0 17

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Total 374 votes) 1. Support our mental health 2. Free university 3. Take action on the climate emergency 4. Stop plastic pollution 5. Tackle child poverty 6. Protect human rights 7. Increase racial awareness in the curriculum 8. Tackle discrimination and hate crime in the UK

(Total 388 votes) 1. Domestic vilence 2. Homelessness 3. Access to training & jobs 4. Peoples’ve voice should be heard in creating local services 5. Childhood obesity 6. Leisure and culture

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7. Transport 8. Access to technology and broadband for learning 9. End the health postcode lottery 10. Improve places to go and things to do

North

North - National Topics

294

247

166 161

96 73 0 56 0 45

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

North - Local Topics

265 265

166

98 88 89

50 0 36 46

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(total 1138 votes) 1. Support our mental health 2. Free univerty 3. Stop plastic pollution 4. Take action on the climate emergency 5. Tackle child poverty 6. Increase racial awarenss in the curriculum 7. Tackle discrimination and hate crime in the UK 8. Protect human rights

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(Total 1103 votes) 1. (JOINT) Domestic violence & Homelessness 2. Access to training & jobs 3. Peoples voice should be heard in creating local services 4. Childhood obesity & food poverty 5. Leisure and culture 6. End the health postcode lottery 7. Transport 8. Access to technology and broadband for learning 9. Improve paces to go and things to do

South South - National Topics

13

6

4

1 2 2 0 0 0 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

South - Local Topics

8

5 5 4

2 2 2 0 0 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(Total 29 votes) 1. Support our mental health 2. Take action on the climate emergency 3. Increase racial awareness in the curriculum

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4. (JOINT) Tackle child poverty & Stop plastic pollution 5. (JOINT) Protect human rights & Free University

(Total 28 votes) 1. Domestic violence 2. (JOINT) Homelessness & Young peoples voice should be heard in creating local services 3. Childhood obesity & food poverty 4. (JOINT) Access to training and jobs, leisure & culture and transport.

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