Douglas City Council is preparing to commit £10,000 to launch a one year trial of a new Youth Council.
The funding is set to come directly from the authority’s General Revenue Reserve.
The proposed Douglas Youth Council (DYC), which is due for final approval next week, would operate as an advisory body made up of 12 young people aged 15–18.
While the initiative is intended to strengthen youth engagement in local democracy, councillors were warned that establishing the scheme will require significant resources, training and safeguarding measures.
Youth Council Costs
According to the report considered by the Executive Committee, the Youth Council represents a “major project” for the authority, with costs arising from officer support, training, DBS checks, risk assessments, meeting arrangements and administrative oversight.
Although the longterm model anticipates up to £20,000 per year, members agreed that the first year should be capped at £10,000 while the scheme is tested.
The funding will be ring-fenced specifically for the pilot, which will run during the 2026/27 financial year.
Councillors have also been instructed to prepare amendments to the Council’s Constitution and to include the project in the Democratic Services Service Plan for 2026–2028.
A full evaluation will be carried out at the end of the trial, with the findings reported back to the Executive Committee before any decision is made on whether to continue or expand the scheme.
