Carmarthenshire Youth Council member, Evie Somers, travelled to London to attend the first in-person meeting of the UK Youth Select Committee, which was held at the Houses of Parliament on Thursday, September 18.

This prestigious event marks the official launch of the Committee’s inquiry process for the 2025/26 term. Evie, who is representing both Carmarthenshire and Wales, is one of only 12 young people across the UK to have been selected to sit on the influential Youth Select Committee.

The Youth Select Committee is a unique parliamentary initiative, delivered by the National Youth Agency and supported by the House of Commons. It mirrors the work of House of Commons Select Committees, giving young people aged 14 -19 the opportunity to scrutinise, debate, and report on issues that matter to their generation.

Over the coming months, Evie will work alongside fellow committee members to gather evidence from experts, question key stakeholders and contribute to a formal report with recommendations for government.

Evie Somers said:

“There’s more than 500,000 young people across this nation – having been entrusted to effectively represent their views on the Youth Select Committee is, of course, an honour. Fulfilling this position will be my most active representative role to date – I plan to take great care and responsibility when speaking and advocating on behalf of Wales’ young people.”

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language, Cllr Glynog Davies, said:

“We are immensely proud of Evie’s appointment to the Youth Select Committee. Her dedication to representing the voices of young people in Carmarthenshire and across Wales is truly commendable. It is vital that our young people are given real opportunities to shape the future, and Evie’s role will help ensure that Welsh perspectives are heard at the very heart of UK decision-making.”

The Youth Select Committee has previously investigated topics such as youth violence, social media, education pressures and the cost of living. It provides a powerful platform for young people to influence government policy and decision-making through structured inquiry and evidence-gathering.