The Youth Cabinet of Bury Council met on Thursday 16 July 2026 to discuss a range of issues affecting young people in the borough. Key topics included an update from Greater Manchester Police, a youth-led discussion on health priorities, and progress on the School Council Project. The meeting also saw the Youth Cabinet agree to prioritise lobbying on tackling hate crime, preparing young people for life, and universal mental health support in educational settings.

Police Update

Members of the Youth Cabinet worked in small groups to identify the single priority they would most like Greater Manchester Police to focus its resources on. A significant discussion arose regarding the increase in the number of corner shops and concerns about these businesses selling vapes to underage children, as well as questions about whether some were operating legitimately. Councillor Debra Green informed the Cabinet of a motion unanimously approved by the Council on 15 July 2026, which led to visits to premises across the borough. As a result, some shops have had their licences revoked and have subsequently closed. A progress report on this initiative will be presented to Councillors in six months. Youth Members were encouraged to report any shops suspected of selling vapes or alcohol to underage children to their local Councillor. It was agreed that Kelly Barnett would share the Council motion video from the Full Council meeting with the Youth Service for circulation to young people.

Further discussions within the Police Update focused on Households Where Neglect May Go Unnoticed, with members expressing concerns that neglect can become more prevalent during school holidays when regular contact with schools is reduced. Councillor George Martin highlighted the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which provides activities and meals for young people during the summer holidays. Discussions also took place regarding the promotion of extracurricular activities and community groups, such as Scouting, as a means of identifying and supporting vulnerable children. Members further suggested that there should be a greater police presence in tunnels and other locations where young people may gather and engage in anti-social behaviour. The final area of discussion under the Police Update was Bullying, Harassment and Hate Crime, where members shared experiences of hate crime, bullying, and harassment. Feedback highlighted concerns about young people being targeted because of their appearance, clothing choices, or alternative styles of dress. It was suggested that some children and young people do not always recognise what constitutes bullying and may mistakenly view unkind comments as simply expressing an opinion. Members also noted that sarcastic remarks can often amount to bullying. In response to a question from Councillor Tom Pilkington regarding whether young people felt they were treated differently by the police because of their age, some Youth Members expressed the view that complaints made by adults may be taken more seriously. Youth Members also commented that young people can be stereotyped by businesses, for example through increased scrutiny while shopping.

Youth-Led Health Discussion

Members of the Youth Cabinet worked in small groups to identify health-related priorities and shared their views with the Cabinet. A key concern raised was Access to Mental Health Services, with members discussing the importance of being able to access support when it is needed. They acknowledged that mental health provision has improved in recent years, although challenges remain.

The topic of Healthy Weight also generated discussion, covering obesity, weight gain, weight loss, and the challenges faced by young people who are underweight. Members suggested that schools could provide more education on healthy approaches to weight management. It was also recognised that issues relating to weight can have a significant impact on mental health, and that young people who are overweight may be at greater risk of bullying. Councillor Debra Green referred to a Council Motion passed the previous evening concerning endometriosis and highlighted a concern that some schools have restricted toilet access during lesson times. It was noted that pupils experiencing conditions such as endometriosis may require greater flexibility. In response, Youth Member Eva advised that, due to issues such as anti-social behaviour, vaping, and loitering in toilet areas, it was common practice in her school for pupils to seek permission before leaving lessons.

The Lack of NHS Dentists was another significant concern, with members discussing the difficulty of accessing NHS dental services and concerns regarding dental practices moving from NHS to private provision. It was noted that long waiting times for orthodontic treatment can negatively affect young people's confidence and wellbeing, particularly where concerns about dental appearance contribute to bullying. Finally, Access to Affordable Gyms was discussed, with members expressing concerns about the cost of gym memberships at local leisure centres and the impact this may have on young people's ability to access fitness facilities. In response to the feedback received, Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health, thanked Members for their contributions and acknowledged that access to NHS dentistry is a national issue. He advised that, while the North West performs better than some other regions, significant challenges remain. Jon Hobday also explained that operating leisure facilities is costly and that extensive benchmarking is undertaken to ensure pricing remains competitive. He undertook to share Members' feedback with the Health and Wellbeing Board.

School Council Project

Heather Walton, Youth Participation Worker, provided an update on the Youth Cabinet motion relating to school councils. She outlined the work undertaken to date, including the delivery of school council training to all secondary schools and consultation with schools regarding the operation and effectiveness of their school council arrangements. Heather Walton advised that the findings from this work have been incorporated into a report, which is currently awaiting approval from senior leaders. She then presented the report's conclusions to Members, which demonstrated that pupil voice is well established across participating schools. School councils and other leadership structures provide valuable opportunities for young people to contribute to decision-making processes and influence school improvement. SEND representation was identified as a particular strength, with almost all schools reporting active involvement of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within representative structures. Strong support was expressed for further collaboration, training opportunities, and the proposed Change Champions initiative. Overall, the findings provide a strong foundation for future borough-wide work aimed at strengthening inclusive participation, enhancing pupil voice, and developing student leadership opportunities across Bury schools.

Youth Parliament Update

Youth Parliament representatives provided an update on recent activities, including attendance at a residential event where they met with members from across the country to discuss issues affecting young people. Key discussion topics included media literacy and political education. As part of the event, participants developed campaign proposals to take back to their local Youth Cabinets. Members proposed undertaking a survey to assess young people's levels of political knowledge, with the intention of using the findings to support a campaign for enhanced political education within the curriculum, particularly in light of proposals to extend voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds. Representatives also reported discussions with North West Youth Parliament members regarding employment opportunities and work experience for young people. Work experience was identified as a key regional priority, and a proposal was discussed to develop a website through which young people could share opportunities and raise concerns relating to employment and work experience. Following consideration of the Make Your Mark campaign priorities, Members voted on the issues they wished to support. It was agreed that Bury Youth Cabinet will prioritise lobbying on the following three issues: a united commitment to tackling hate crime in the UK; preparing young people for life; and universal mental health support in educational settings.

Greater Manchester Youth Combined Authority Update

Councillor Noah, Chair of the Youth Cabinet, provided an update on meetings of the Greater Manchester Youth Combined Authority held on 9 June 2026 and 14 July 2026. Key discussion topics included employment, training, and career opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Bury; co-chair arrangements and leadership development; communications relating to elections and democratic engagement; and the development of a technical education tool to support young people in exploring education and career pathways.

Feedback from the Bee Travel Network Meeting

Councillor Noah also provided feedback from the most recent Bee Travel Network meeting. Discussion focused on improvements to bus services across Greater Manchester, planned service improvements on the 471, 472, and 474 bus routes, a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) consultation regarding Simister Island, and the development of bike repair hubs (Bike Hospitals) and additional cycle hubs across the borough.

Urgent Business

Tobias provided an update on behalf of the Changemakers group, highlighting work on the development of an accessible and inclusive Easy Read version of the Short Break Duty Statement, alongside a series of short explanatory videos. This also included work with Jo McMaster, Designated SEND Officer for Bury, to develop a multi-agency SEND guide; participation in SEND reform meetings with Ben Dunne, Director of Education; engagement with Wendy Young, Head of SEND Services, regarding Communities of Practice; and attending a celebration event recognising the achievements of Changemakers members over the past year. The update also noted the recent positive Ofsted inspection outcome, which identified improvements across all six SEND priority areas. It was agreed that all future full meetings of the formal Youth Cabinet meetings will be held on a Tuesday evening to align with other youth meetings.

The Big Debate

It was agreed that the debate topic for a future meeting would be: Does social media bans protect children?. The debate itself was carried forward to a future meeting due to time constraints.