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Last modified: 24 Nov 2020 8:00am

A group of teenagers in Halloween costumesIt might not sound it at first, but the Selwyn Youth Council is a life-changing opportunity, Youth Council member Inaki Cepeda says.

Applications for the 2021/22 Selwyn Youth Council are open for young people between 12 and 24 years of age who live in Selwyn.

The Youth Council is made up of 12 members who are passionate about making a positive difference for young people in Selwyn.

Inaki, who is part of this year’s Youth Council, says he did not know a lot about the Youth Council when a member first suggested to him that he should apply, but he was glad that he did.

“It has been a really cool, life-changing experience. I’ve had so much fun, met so many people from different townships, made so many friends and learnt new life skills. Everyone should try it. It may not sound cool from an ad or an article, but it’s such a cool experience.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic restricting some of the things the Youth Council could do this year there have still been lots of highlights, such as helping out with BOOST Bubble, posting encouragement and activities to support young people during the lockdown – posts which reached close to 24,000 accounts.

Inaki has also helped with the Youth Council’s Passion Podcast series, interviewing Selwyn residents about their passions and with a BOOST Halloween event supporting the Burnham Military Camp family Halloween party.

Youth Council members have also presented to Council on issues affecting youth, and hosted the ‘What do YOUth think’ surveys which this year gave young people in Selwyn the opportunity to help design the youth space for the Rolleston Town Centre.

Mayor Sam Broughton says the Youth Council makes a valuable difference. “The Youth Council has been an active part of making Selwyn a great place to live. Anyone who wants to be part of that and help make cool things happen and support other young people should put their name forward for consideration.”

Anyone interested can complete an application online. Applications close Saturday 30 November. For more information or to apply please visit the youth council webpage or  selwyn.govt.nz/youthcouncil or facebook.com/selwynyouthcouncil.