Pupils get council educated

Havant Borough Council hosted its fifth annual Havant Youth Conference with the aim to inspire youngsters about issues that affect them and to teach them about their local council and councillors.

Pupils also took part in interactive workshops about voting and being smart with money, and had the opportunity to grill councillors during a special Q&A session.

 Following presentations from three local charities, students also got to vote by ballot to award grants to Motive8 (£2,500), Off The Record (£1,000) and Oarsome Chance (£500).

Councillor Leah Turner, cabinet lead for communities, development and housing, said: ‘We hope that the conference and its speakers will encourage the young people to engage with both national and local politics.

‘We think that the event will interest them in becoming more involved in their local communities.’

Council leader, Councillor Michael Wilson and Councillor Prad Bains talked about their roles in helping to shape the borough, while guest speaker Mike Lock from Havant and East Hants Mind discussed the importance of mental health.