Sarah Bell, from Antrim, and a member of the Commissioner’s Youth Panel said: “Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account when adults are making decisions that affect them.
“Children and young people’s services play an important part in the responsibilities of many public bodies and we expect that each would incorporate young people in their projects. While this is not always the case Northern Regional College is one of many which is doing things right.”
Chief Executive at the office of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Mairéad McCafferty, said, “This is good news for these organisations, for children and young people, and for Northern Ireland society as a whole. It shows that children and young people’s inclusion and participation is beginning to be taken seriously. Services are more effective when young people contribute as active citizens.
“While it was very difficult for the Youth Panel to choose the winners from the many excellent entries, Northern Regional College demonstrated an outstanding commitment to involving children and young people, listening to them, and more importantly acting on what they said.
“I would like to congratulate Sarah, who along with other members of the Youth Panel, designed and developed the awards process based on their experiences from previous years and judged all entries made and helped organise the awards night itself.”
