PLANS to introduce youth councillors to Camelford Town Council are underway, with a small group coming together to encourage more young people to get involved.

There are currently four young people, who cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, who are interested in getting involved in Camelford Town Council as youth councillors. The council is currently in the process of setting up an initial meeting, to get these young people on board and reaching out to other young members of the community through the use of social media and discussing the plan with friends.

The council is also hoping to get in touch with Sir James Smith’s Community School to speak to the school council about the developing plans, and to potentially do assemblies to encourage more people to get involved.

Cllr Claire Hewlett said: “Youngsters are almost completely silent, and have no voice. Currently, the Camelford Town Council members are of an age. It would be interesting to find out why young people don’t get involved; they don’t write letters and they don’t engage with us. It would be nice to know that young people are keen to improve the town and the community.

“I hope this will make a difference to the community. Often, youngsters are portrayed in a bad light in the press, and I know — with children of my own — that these young people shown in a bad way are a very small minority. This is giving young people in the community the chance to be seen in a positive way.”

The project is open to 14 to 25-year-olds who live, work or go to school within the Camelford parish, as Cllr Hewlett explained: “For example, if you went to Sir James Smith’s School but lived in Tintagel, you’d still be eligible to get involved.”

The plans are still in the early stages, and Cllr Hewlett hopes that once the group is established, the four youngsters will encourage other young people to engage with the town council.