Time to Shape the Future

15 November 2007 News

NICCY’s call to Northern Ireland’s children and young people

CHILDREN and young people can shape the future of the children’s commissioner’s work for the next three years as part of a massive consultation to hear their voice.

Patricia Lewsley’s UR Voice campaign aims to shape the areas that the Commissioner will work on until 2011.

“Today I want children, young people, parents, those who work with children and young people and the public in general to tell me what my office should focus on over the next three years,” she said. “I am accountable to children and young people first, and it is they who I want to hear from most of all.

“If I am to properly work for and with children and young people I must listen to their views, the issues that are important in their lives.

The Commissioner was speaking as she launched a massive consultation into her office’s work until 2011. Five priorities have been identified for NICCY to focus on.

These are Play & leisure; Having Your Say; Well-Being; Mental Health; Protection; and, Equal Treatment.

The priority areas were decided after lengthy research, which involved working with more than 2,000 children and young people as well as parents and people who work with children and young people.

“I now want to find out which work I should concentrate on under each of these priorities, and the launch of the consultation today is the beginning of an extensive exercise to make sure people – and children and young people especially – can tell us what they think.”

The UR Voice campaign will see the Commissioner visit 8 towns and cities in three days, as well as the launch of web consultation site, consultation packs and plans for workshops to enable children and young people to directly share their views on NICCY’s future work.

Notes for Editors

  • The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People’s UR Voice campaign aims to involve children, young people, professionals and the public in general through web consultation, consultation packs, and advertisements on social networking sites such as Bebo and Youtube
  • As NICCY is a Northern Ireland wide organisation the UR Voice campaign will also visit Lisburn, Newry, Armagh,Omagh, Enniskillen, Londonderry/Derry, and Ballymena
  • You can find out more information on the work of the Commissioner here on the web site