Belfast City Youth Council

Be part of Belfast City Youth Council

We’re looking for young people aged 13 to 18 (or up to 21 if you have a disability, have just left care or have been referred through social services) from Belfast to be part of the Belfast City Youth Council.

What is the opportunity?

By applying to become a member of the Youth Council, you will get to:

• represent young people in Belfast City Council and make sure their voices are heard
• organise and run projects on young people’s issues
• make new friends
• help to make a difference on topics you’re passionate about, and
• work with decision-makers like politicians to tell them what young people in Belfast need.

You will serve as a Youth Council member until January 2026. 

We are particularly interested in applicants from Collin, Old Park, Ormiston and Titanic, although applicants are welcome from throughout Belfast.

Apply to become a Youth Council member

Applications closed on Friday 31 January 2025.

Interviews took place between Monday 10 and Friday 21 February and new members will be updated by Friday 28 February 2025.

You should read our terms and conditions before applying.

Terms and conditions

To apply to become a member of the Belfast City Youth Council, there are some terms and conditions that you need to meet first. You must:

• be between the ages of 13 and 18 (or up to 21 if you have a disability, have just left care or have been referred through social services)
• live in the Belfast electoral boundary area
• attend a short interview between 10 and 21 February 2025
• be available to serve on the Youth Council until January 2026 
• be able to attend two meetings a month to carry out Youth Council work
• follow our Belfast City Youth Council Code of Behaviour.

If you need any more information on the Belfast City Youth Council, email [email protected].

Who is Belfast City Youth Council?

Young people make up a third of the population of Belfast, making our city one of the youngest in Europe. 

As Belfast is home to so many young people, we thought it was time they had a say in how our city is run and show that they’re listened to by adults.

If you’re a young person, we’ve set up the Belfast City Youth Council (BCYC) to help make this happen.

The Youth Council is made up of 25 young people from communities across Belfast.

All of our members are aged between 13 and 18 (or up to 21 if they have a disability, have just left care or have been referred through social services) and are a Youth Council member for two years.

They meet twice a month to agree and work on issues affecting young people. They also attend joint workshops with elected members of our People and Communities Committee (link opens in new window) three times a year.

Follow us on social media.

• X.com: www.X.com/belfastcity_yc (link opens in new window)
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BelfastCityYC (link opens in new window)
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/belfastcity_yc/ (link opens in new window)

Belfast City Youth Council campaigns and projects

BCYC will be focusing on several new projects, as well as looking at their key priorities for the term.

Members are taking part in the RADICAL (Respect and Disrespect in Children’s and Adolescents Lives) programme, a two-year study with Queen’s University Belfast to analyse, consult and shape key points on the rights of children.

Previous work includes:

• Any Use? research report on young people’s opinions on Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Belfast 
• Heads Up! toolkit to help young people organise a mental health campaign project in their community and support them to campaign on local mental health issues
• a regional youth-led mental health campaign, 'Elephant in the Room' concentrating on mental health in children and young people, and
• Poverty: It’s not a choice research report on raising awareness about poverty in Belfast.

If you would like more information on Belfast City Youth Council campaigns and projects, email [email protected] or call 028 9032 0202.

The United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (UNCRC)

The United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a list of rights created to protect all children and young people and make sure they have everything they need to live a happy and healthy life. 

The work of the Belfast City Youth Council is guided by the UNCRC, in particular:

• Article 2 - children and young people should not be discriminated against
• Article 3 - the best interests of children and young people should be a top priority in all decisions concerning them
• Article 12 - every child and young person has the right to say what they think in matters affecting them and to have their views listened to and taken seriously.