On Thursday 29th January, we attended an event hosted by the Cheltenham Education Partnership in collaboration with the Lives of Colour event held alongside nine other schools from across Cheltenham. The event created a valuable space for discussion centred around the theme of how race equity and unity can be promoted within Cheltenham’s diverse communities. Our group focused on the question of ‘How can Cheltenham’s local government ensure public consultations reflect the town’s full diversity?’
Our main proposal was Vowels for Visibility, a checklist-style framework designed to ensure inclusivity in future public consultations. The acronym stands for Action, Effect, Investment, Outcome, and Unity, and aims to ensure that all members of the community are considered and represented.
During the event, each school had the opportunity to work with a specialist in their respective field, and we were supported by Victoria Atherstone from Cheltenham Borough Council. She provided us with incredible insight into the council’s current approach to public consultations, helping us to develop a clearer understanding of what these involve and how we can further challenge initial misconceptions. We then examined the ongoing Golden Valley development in Cheltenham, where we identified key issues and discussed potential improvements that could be applied both to this project and to future consultations in the broader realm of our local council.
We also had the opportunity to engage with students from other schools, allowing us to exchange ideas, ask questions, and gain insight into different perspectives on the topic. We participated in group discussion activities, which not only helped us to understand the views of our fellow students but also challenged and developed our own perspectives on ongoing issues facing our local community.
Overall, the experience was truly enlightening and inspiring, as it allowed us to listen to and collaborate with other young people who are eager to use their voices to improve areas of our local community. We are extremely grateful to Miss Burston for providing us with this opportunity through Global Citizens and would strongly recommend it to anyone else interested in forming a brighter future for public policy.
Zoë, Jillian and Grace (UC4)
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