Call for young people to step up and join youth council

04 November 2026

Young people have an exciting opportunity to make their voices heard and play a key role in local issues, events and activities by standing as a youth councillor.

This week (2 – 8 November 2026) is National Youth Work Week, and once again, North Northamptonshire Council is calling on anyone aged 11 to 19 years old, or up to 25 years old with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) to sit on its Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

Applications, via an online form, are open to anyone who is currently an active member of a youth forum such as a school council, voluntary youth organisation, youth council or forum, college youth council, or an individual nominated by a member of staff from a school, college or community group. They must also live in North Northamptonshire. 

There will be 12 North Northamptonshire YAC places that young people can apply for, covering four areas, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants, with three seats in each area. Additional seats will be allocated to two Members of Youth Parliament which, if given permission to continue, will have has elections in March 2027.

Being a youth councillor gives young people a voice to make decisions about what is important to them, and create opportunities for young people to participate, engage and be heard by politicians, service providers and others in their local community. 

They can help identify and tackle issues considered important by young people, and shape services and facilities in North Northamptonshire to reflect what young people want and need. There will also be opportunities to reach out to other young people to seek their views and get them involved in the democratic process. 

Applications for the Youth Advisory Council members will be accepted from 2 November to 22 November 2026 when the submission round will close.

Last year, the Council held its second YAC recruitment drive which saw a huge number of candidates step forward. Part of what the Youth Advisory Council will do, is work towards creating North Northamptonshire Council’s third ever Youth Summit.

To get involved, complete the form on the Youth Advisory Council webpage. 

What current youth councillors have to say:

“Being part of the Youth Advisory Council has given me the opportunity to turn ideas into real action. From designing and launching a youth-led debate championship (NNDC) to delivering a mosque survey on Islamophobia awareness, I've been able to tackle issues that genuinely matter to young people.”  AE

“YAC is now our legacy for the youth in North Northamptonshire” IO

“The youth advisory council is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get involved in local politics and make a change in their constituencies.” KO

Once selected, there will be an introductory meeting for newly appointed members on 14 December in Kettering. From there on, the first official meeting of the Youth Advisory Council after taking up post, will be on 12 January 2027. Subsequent meetings will then take place on the second Tuesday of every month (with the exception of March 2027 when the meeting will be held on the 16 March), up until the end of office in July 2027. 

For more information, email [email protected]