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Why have a Richmond Youth Forum?

Aims:

To provide a coherent cohesive voice for young people in Richmond by bringing together all groups that exist in the borough that cater for young people.

To provide a forum for young people to discuss issues that are important to them.

To bring together the widest range of young people to represent their peers and influence decision-making that affects young people at all levels, local, national and international.

The Youth Forum will work to ensure the widest possible range of representation for young people, including young people with special needs and disabilities; young people in care or looked-after; young people not attending mainstream school.

What is Richmond Youth Forum?

Types of meeting

Main meeting

The main meeting is where all the members of the Youth Forum attend. Members can report what is happening at their organization or group. Decisions can be made on actions to be taken and members can check that previously agreed actions have taken place.

There will be a minimum of 12 full Youth Forum meetings a year. These will usually be held at York House, Twickenham.

Meetings will take place between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm and not exceed two hours.

Youth forum meetings will take place consistently I.E on the last Wednesday of every month.

Executive members & subgroup members will produce either a written or verbal reports to be given at full Youth Forum meetings.

Annual General Meeting (A.G.M)

The Annual general meeting is a special main meeting where changes to the constitution can be made and elections for officers and executive committee are held as well as normal business.

We will hold an A.G.M annually in October of each year or as soon as possible after the recruitment of new members has taken place.

The AGM is considered to be the main meeting for the month it is held in.

Executive Committee Meeting:

The Executive Committee's purpose is to ensure the smooth running of the Youth Forum, including making sure the actions agreed at main meetings are carried out, that copies of minutes and agendas are available, and ensuring reports and other information required for main meetings are available; inviting outside speakers, ensuring representatives are available to attend external meetings, and training of Youth Forum members.

There will be a minimum of 11 executive meetings a year. These will be held at a venue deemed appropriate by the Youth Forum.

Other Meetings

The Youth Forum may vote to form sub-group meetings to make progress on particular items of work. The membership and tasks of the sub groups would be decided by the forum the sub group would report back at main meetings.

The Youth Forum may vote to hold addition meetings, Conferences, Social or training events as members see fit.

Officers:

Officers are members of the Youth Forum who have particular jobs to do. All officer posts will have a deputy. Members of the Youth Forum will nominate and vote on candidates for election to these posts at the A.G.M.

Election of officers

All candidates must be proposed and seconded. In the event of more than one member standing for a post the candidates will be invited to make a 2 minute presentation to the forum and a vote will be held. Candidates will be asked to leave the room during the vote. The candidate with the most votes will be duly elected. In the event of a draw candidiates will be invited to make a further 1 minute presentation and a re-vote will be taken. If the vote remains tied the post will be shared and no deputy will be elected.

The youth forum support worker will act as a non voting Chairperson whilst the election for the post of Chaiperson.

All officers will be expected to attend Executive Committee meetings as well as Youth Forum meetings.

Chairperson:

The Chairperson's job is to ensure the smooth running of Youth Forum meetings.

To ensure that the actions and decisions of the Youth Forum agree with the Constitution

To represent the Youth Forum

To make sure that everyone has a fair chance to speak

To ensure that voting takes place on appropriate matters

To hold the casting vote where voting may be tied

To make sure that all items on the agenda are covered

Secretary:

To ensure that minutes are taken of all meetings, and are recorded and sent out to all Youth Forum members.

To ensure that agendas are sent out for all meetings.

To ensure that rooms are booked for all meetings.

To ensure that all correspondence is replied to.

Press and Communications Officer:

To ensure that Youth Forum activities are publicized widely to relevant groups.

To liaise with the Council Press Office and media to ensure the best presentation of Youth Forum work.

To ensure that recruitment materials are widely available and produce the best possible quality.

To ensure that the Richmond Youth Forum website is developed and maintained.

Membership and Training Officer:

To ensure that all members of the Youth Forum receive appropriate training

To organize training events

Treasurer:

The Treasurer will hold the cheque book and bank statements for the Youth Forum

The Treasurer will make a report to each full meeting of the Youth Forum on the current bank balance and any notable expenditure or income.

The Treasurer will ensure that all Youth Forum financial rules are complied with

Finances of the Youth Forum

All monies that are spent need to be approved by the Youth Forum during a full Youth Forum meeting with a vote of 2/3 majority with at least 1 adult vote.

Three quotes must be obtained for any expenditure over £50.00.

All cheques will require two signatures from the authorized personnel - one to be an officer's signature and one to be an adult signature from the nominated support workers.

All monies that are spent should be accompanied by a receipt

£10 will be considered as petty cash & will not require a vote for it to be spent but will require a member of the executive committee to agree it providing a receipt is given.

Adults attending Youth Forum meetings

Adults may attend meetings in response to a request from the Youth Forum or in response to a request from an adult, e.g. a police officer wishing to seek young people's views on policing matters.

Adults will be able to attend for the specific agenda item only.

Adults may attend in a support role for young people who would not otherwise be able to attend.

The Youth Service will provide a Youth Forum Support Worker to assist the officers and members in the running of the Youth Forum.

Adults may not take part in any formal vote.

Decision-making:

General decisions on the Youth Forum will be made by majority voting. All issues for voting should be proposed and seconded and the vote outcome should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson will have a casting vote. Changes to the Constitution can only be proposed at the A.G.M. and require a two-thirds majority to be passed. The quorum for any votes to take place at the Youth Forum is 12 members. In the event of the Youth Forum not being quorate (eg: less than 12 members voting) the only decisions that can be passed will relate to the recruitment of new members.

Membership:

There are 2 main types of members that can sit on the Youth forum:

Representative members will come from an organization and have a duty to bring forward the views of all the members or pupils of the school, group or organisation they represent and let them know what the Youth Forum is doing. Each organization or group must decide how they choose their 2 representatives. Each year organizations will be asked if they wish to keep their existing reps or send new ones.

Co opted members

Individual young people may apply for co opted membership if they are not able to represent an organization or group. This may be because their organization or group already has reps or they do not belong to any group or organization or they are excising members of the forum who no longer represent an organization or group. The main youth forum may vote to accept applications where appropriate.

The Youth Forum will invite all statutory and voluntary registered youth organizations; schools - both state and private (including special schools and pupil referral units); colleges and other organizations working with young people in the 11-19 age group to send 2 representatives each to the Youth Forum. This will generally take place in September although additional recruitment drives may take place at the beginning of each term if organizations remain unrepresented.

The Youth Forum will also offer 25 coopted spaces for young people who may not be involved in an invited organization.

When recruiting the Youth Forum will pay particular attention to its aims to ensure the widest possible representation of young people.

The MYP and Student Mayor (and their deputies) will be offered automatic membership on the full Youth Forum and the Executive Committee.

Membership will lapse after a representative has failed to attend for three meetings without passing their apologies to the Secretary. Organisations will then be invited to send another representative.

Eligibility:

young people aged 11 - 19 who live, work or study or attend youth organisation in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Every youth organization is invited to send 2 representatives to every meeting

After attending the 2nd meeting, new members will be entitled to purchase a youth forum membership cards

Membership card holders will receive all copies of minutes & agenda's

Non card holders will only receive electronic (e-mail) versions of these documents.

The executive youth forum will be elected from the full membership (card holders), associate members (those without cards) do not have any voting rights.

The constitution can only be reviewed or amended at the A.G.M by a 2/3 majority