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Cardiff Youth Council in Stuttgart

Ashika P recently had the wonderful opportunity to represent Cardiff Youth Council on a four-day exchange programme in Cardiff's twin city of Stuttgart, Germany.

Ashika and the Chair of Cardiff Youth Council met members of the Stuttgart Youth Council, engaged in workshops sharing their views on local decision-making in their respective cities and immersed themselves in German culture. Their stay consisted of a variety of workshops, exploring the city and strengthening ties with the city youth council.

The group also met youth council representatives from Lodz, Poland, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine and St Helens. They engaged in workshops concerning the participation of young people in urban planning, collaboration between young people in twin cities and future youth-led projects. An example of a youth-led project Stuttgart has implemented is smart benches in green spaces, which are a suitable place to relax and charge your phone, all of which is solar-powered.

During their stay, they celebrated 30 years of the Stuttgart Youth Council, learning about the youth council's early beginnings and the way it has changed to how it operates today, hearing from previous members and a speech from the Lord Mayor of Stuttgart, Dr Fabian Mayer.

Overall, Ashika found this exchange trip hugely enriching in widening her insight into city planning and the power young people have to shape local politics and decision-making. The experience allowed her to meet like-minded young people and appreciate city council workers who dedicate their lives to empowering young people on this journey.