Taken and quoted from the Youth Action Kouncil's (YAK) website, www.speakoutonline.co.uk:

The Youth Action Kouncil advises the County Council on service provision; it gives young people a voice, a chance to express their opinions and a chance to be heard.

Members must be aged between 11 and 19 and membership is by election only from one of the following groups:

• From any of the Staffordshire District Youth Forums
• Young Carers Forum
• 4us Forum (Young People Leaving Care)
• Children and Young Peoples Voice (Young People in Care)
• Special Needs Young People
• S.C.V.Y.S (Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services Forum)
• UK Youth Parliament, 8 elected members all receive an automatic place

All of the above groups receive 4 places for which the young people are all democratically elected within their own group. Elections take place between mid February and mid March annually.

Youth Action Kouncil (YAK)

This group was set up in 1999 and is funded and supported by the County Council. The YAK provides the County Council with the opportunity to consult with young people on countywide policies and budget decisions as well as offering the young people a forum to discuss issues which affect them and other young people across the County. Young people are elected onto this group from the different youth forums across the County.

YAK gives the youth of Staffordshire a voice at a county wide level. For more information about YAK as well as finding out about their current projects please visit:
http://www.speakoutonline.co.uk