A new Canvey Island Pride in Place Children and Young People Board has been launched to ensure that the voices of local children and young people play a role in shaping the investment and regeneration plans for Canvey Island.
The new board builds on the existing youth board structure delivered through the Schools Sports Partnership, which already represents every school on Canvey Island, including the Island’s two secondary schools and 12 primary schools. The expanded board will now have a much broader remit, moving beyond sport to focusing on wider priorities for young people and their communities.
Importantly, members of the Children and Young People Board will not just be consulted but will have an active role in decision‑making, including responsibility for managing their own £5,000 budget to support youth‑led projects and ideas for the Island.
The new board met for the first time in May, with a launch event taking place at Cornelius Vermuyden School. Ahead of the launch, focus groups had already been held with young people to gather their views, with early feedback highlighting priorities such as the seafront, more activities to do locally, improvements to Canvey Lake, sport and education.
The Children and Young People Board will work closely with the main Canvey Island Pride in Place Board, ensuring a two‑way flow of information. Representatives from the youth board will attend Pride in Place Board meetings at key points, helping to ensure that young people’s views directly inform decision‑making. Membership of the board is open to children and young people with applications made through schools.
The launch session on 8 May introduced young members to the Pride in Place programme, gave them the opportunity to discuss how their £5,000 budget could be used, and set expectations for their role as ambassadors. The second half of the session focused on leadership skills, teamwork and activities, supported by the Schools Sports Partnership team.
