Across the board

Hull Youth Council might be best known for its work in tackling bullying. But, the organisation, which represents the views and interests of 11 to 25 year olds across the city, has much more to offer young people. Hull in print meets a 16 year old with designs on a career in IT and flips over the Youth Council's latest successful campaign..

Phil Sharp has been developing all sorts of new skills as a Hull Youth Council volunteer - interviewing job applicants, running workshops and meetings, printing counterfeit money. It's unlikely that the dodgy banknotes in question would fool anybody though. They're clearly marked 'Bank of Bransholme' and appear on a leaflet promoting the Bransholme Youth Bank - a scheme offering groups of young people up to £1,000 to turn their good ideas into reality.

Promotion: Phil Sharp and Ben Borthwick

The leaflet was designed by HYC's eight-strong publicity group, which promotes the Youth Council campaigns throughout the city. Phil, now 16, joined three years ago after hearing about it through the Dales Youth Club on North Bransholme. "We meet every three weeks," he said. "The eight of us come up with the design ideas and artwork and commission a worker to produce mock-ups. We then pick the final design." At the same time, he said, group members learn to use graphics packages, such as Quark Xpress and Photoshop. Phil, who attends Kingswood High School, also likes to tinker around with the computer hardware and is interested in pursuing a career as an IT technician.

But Phil's involvement with the Youth Council doesn't stop there. He was one of 250 young people who lobbied councillors and MPs to fund a free anti-bullying help line last year and helped design bumper stickers and posters for Bransholme Youth Forum's Safer Streets campaign. Phil also regularly sits on interview panels for the crucial job of selecting campaign and youth forum workers. "It's very important that young people are involved in choosing the right workers," he said. "You need to choose someone who doesn't talk down to you and has a sense of humour."

Other skills Phil has gained include chairing meetings, taking minutes and talking to people in authority. He also recently had the daunting experience of running a workshop on effective communication at the University of Hull, which was attended by over 100 young people from schools in Hull and the East Riding. "I've gained a lot of self-confidence and self-esteem through the Youth Council," he said. "I would say to anyone: 'Get involved'. It's a great opportunity, so don't let it fly by."

Chance to take off at Community Super Stadium..

Skateboarding is about to take off in a big way in Hull. Facilities at the £43.5m Community Super Stadium, due to open at The Circle/West Park next January, will include a £100,000 outdoor skate park - the first of its kind in the city. Events have moved quickly since young people from Hull Youth Council decided to launch a skate park campaign last June following one of the group's regular 'making a change' meetings.

Helping hands: Scott Palmer, front, with Marc Halliday and Marc Banks

"We set up a working group of 60 to run it," said campaigns manager, Sarah Payne. "When we heard that the council was already planning a skate park as part of the community stadium development, we joined in with them." Working with some of Hull's top skateboarders, including UK professional Scott Palmer, and stadium contractor Birse Construction, they then helped to design the new park.

"We know, through trial and error and visiting parks in other cities, what works and what doesn't," said Scott. "The idea has been to keep it basic with as many lines as possible so that you can enjoy the park, whatever level you're at." As well as providing a place for young - and not so young - aficionados to practise their flips and ollies away from pedestrians, Scott believes that the park, which is being funded by the City Council with support from the Government, will put Hull on the skateboarding map.

"The British scene is now as big as the American one," he said. "The park is the best we could have got for the money and will attract some of the best skaters in the country." The City Council's stadium project team leader John Topliss said: "The whole ethos of the stadium complex is to support community sports, not just the professional teams. "In the past, the youth sector has sometimes been overlooked but this park will give skateboarders access to an excellent facility at no cost. "We were pleased to involve young people through Hull Youth Council in the park's design."

Campaigners at Hull Youth Council are now lobbying area committees to fund smaller facilities at parks around Hull. One seasoned skater, Marc Banks, added: "There have been skateboarders in Hull for the last 20 years and this is just what we've needed. "If you're a skater, it's your life. We're not going away."

Want to get involved? Contact Sean Walker at Hull Youth Council, tel. 585297 or log onto the web site: www.hullyouthcouncil.co.uk