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Young People and Local Democracy

Dover District Council wishes to encourage young people to become more actively involved in their local communities and, at the same time, aware of the roles and responsibilities of local government.  

Each year in October, to support national Local Democracy Week, we stage a Local Democracy Day event at the Council offices which is designed to raise awareness amongst young people of how democracy works at a local level and what their local authority does. The event is aimed at students in Year 9 and is open to all schools in the district, although numbers are limited. 

The day’s programme usually includes a debate in the Council Chamber, as well as a political speed-dating session which enables young people to quiz their local Councillors.   In 2008, for the first time, schools were also given the opportunity to bid for funding for a school-based project, which involved students presenting and answering questions about their projects in the Council Chamber.   Castle Community School won first prize of £600 with a bike maintenance project, which went on to win a Safer Communities award. In 2009, Archers Court won first prize with their project to create a community DVD aimed at keeping young people in the District safe. 

The Council has produced a Schools Guide to Dover District Council. This explains the link between central and local government, and sets out the Council’s responsibilities. 

Aside from Local Democracy Day and the Guide for Schools, we can support local schools by offering them the use of the Council Chamber for debates, and younger students – at primary/junior level – are welcome to visit the Council offices to meet the Chairman of the Council. 

Further information about the Dover District Youth Forum and the District’s Youth Strategy may be found on the Council’s Youth pages.

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