Carmarthenshire County Council is marking Local Democracy Week (October 16 tp 20) by encouraging everyone to get involved in their community and learn more about local democracy.

Getting involved in local democracy is a great way to connect with your local community and make a real difference.

Watching Council meetings, participating and making decisions – Residents are invited to attend any of Carmarthenshire County Council’s public meetings in person or virtually where a wide range of topics are covered and important decisions are made.

This includes meetings of Full Council, Cabinet, the Planning Committee and Scrutiny.

Scrutiny Task and Finish groups – The Council’s Scrutiny committee play a key role in improving services in Carmarthenshire by ensuring that policies reflect current priorities, as well as promoting efficiency and encouraging effective partnership working.

Scrutiny Committees can establish a Task & Finish Group during each municipal year. These are sub-groups of the main committee which are asked to investigate specific issues and report back findings and recommendations for approval before presenting them to the Cabinet.

Residents can get involved by attending a meeting, suggesting a topic for review and providing evidence.

Youth Council – Carmarthenshire Youth Council (CYC) is a group of 50 young people age 11-21 who represent the views and opinions of all young people in the county. CYC is represented in four main areas: education, universal, special interest and Welsh Youth Parliament.

Come along to the Rights Together: A Celebration of Children’s Rights Conference on Wednesday, October 25 from 9.30 am until 2.30 pm at Parc y Scarlets to learn more about children’s rights, hear inspirational stories from young people, find out how you can make a difference in your community and meet other young people.

Consultations – Residents, businesses and stakeholders in Carmarthenshire are invited to take part in all Council-led public consultations which help to shape policies, make decisions and deliver high quality services.

Contact a Councillor – Councillors have been elected to serve their local area and are an important link between the Council and their community, working together to make decisions that impact everyone in Carmarthenshire.

Residents can contact their local Councillor to discuss a range of matters or to raise an issue.

Cllr Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council said: “Local Democracy Week helps to give people a voice and encourages them to have a say on the decisions that impact their community. Get involved in local democracy to shape the future of Carmarthenshire.”