Published: Wednesday 29 July 2026
Youth Council members took over the public participation segment of last week’s Full Council meeting to question councillors about the issues that matter most to young people.
During the session on Wednesday 23 July, they questioned both the Council’s leadership team and opposition councillors on a range of topics, including mental health support, women-only swimming sessions, the Council’s response to the changing financial landscape, and how contracts and partner organisations are scrutinised.
The event gave young people the opportunity to speak directly with elected members, hear different perspectives from across the Council chamber and see first-hand how local democracy works.
Ahead of the meeting, Youth Council members spoke about feeling both nervous and excited to ask questions on behalf of young people across the borough. Afterwards, they reflected on how positive the experience had been, saying they were pleased their questions were taken seriously and welcomed the opportunity to hear responses from both the administration and the main opposition group.
Maisie Thornton, a member of the Youth Council, said:
“Both parties had strong opinions about my question. I think it will be great to pass on the answers to other young people so they can understand what’s going on and how they can get involved too.”
Cllr Catherine Faulks, lead member for family and children’s services, said: “Hearing the thoughtful questions from our Youth Council provides such a valuable insight into the issues that matter most to young people in our borough. It takes real courage to stand up in the Council chamber and speak on behalf of your peers, and everyone who took part should be incredibly proud.
“We are committed to making sure young people’s voices are heard and that they have genuine opportunities to help shape the future of Kensington and Chelsea. I look forward to continuing to work with them to make our borough an even better place for children and young people.”
The session forms part of the Council’s wider commitment to encouraging resident participation through its Your Community, Your Voice campaign, which aims to give residents more opportunities to influence local decision-making and help shape the future of Kensington and Chelsea.
By taking part in Full Council, Youth Council members demonstrated how young people can play an active role in local democracy—raising issues that matter to them and their peers, holding decision-makers to account and contributing to discussions about the future of the borough.
Find out more about the Youth Council and their work on the Youth Participation Hub section of our website.