Children to decide Al Aynsley-Green’s priorities

Children’s commissioner for England Al Aynsley-Green will allow children and young people to decide how he should spend over £125,000 from his 2008-9 budget next week.

A group of children and young people will decide on the top two issues they want Al Aynsley-Green to look at. Half of the children’s commissioner’s £252,000 project budget will be spent on one of these, while the other will be embedded in his work next year.

More than 100 children and young people will meet to discuss 14 issues they have identified to be the most important to them using workshops, art, a fashion show, film and drama. They will then vote for the two they believe to be most important.

The event will take place at the National Disabled Sports Centre in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire. Children from different parts of the country and of different ages will be attending.

The 14 issues to be discussed include: the government’s job, family and friends, violence, abuse and bullying, youth justice and antisocial behaviour, respect and discrimination.

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