Buckingham Town Council was proud to take part in this year’s Local Democracy Event, hosted by The Buckingham School in partnership with The Royal Latin School. Fifty students from both schools spent the day engaging in debate, discussion, and civic learning with a panel of local representatives.
The panel included Mayor Cllr Fran Davies, Cllr Jon Harvey, Cllr Anja Schaefer, Cllr Robin Stuchbury, Cllr Lucy Draper, Cllr Lisa O’Donoghue, Cllr Robina Ahmed, Cllr Roger Newall, along with Sergeant David Kuttner and PC Guy Richards from Thames Valley Police.
Throughout the event, students explored a wide range of local topics such as traffic management, local spending, youth opportunities, community safety, the impact of East–West Rail, environmental concerns, and ways young people can have a stronger voice in their community. Their confidence, curiosity and thoughtful questioning set the tone for a highly engaging day.
Buckingham Town Council extends its thanks to both schools, all panel participants, and most importantly the students, whose leadership and enthusiasm demonstrated the importance of involving young people at the heart of local democracy.
Representing Thames Valley Police, Sergeant David Kuttner and PC Guy Richards said:
“A particularly powerful discussion posed to us centred on knife crime and hate crime, with students raising genuine concerns. Their engagement was inspiring, and the quality of their questions showed just how invested young people are in shaping the future of their communities.
Promoting democracy in schools is vital because it empowers young people to see themselves as active citizens, gives them a voice on issues that affect their lives, and helps build the confidence, respect, and responsibility needed to strengthen communities.
A huge thank you to both Buckingham School and The Royal Latin School for hosting such a meaningful event.”
Cllr Fran Davies, Mayor of Buckingham, said:
“I was honoured to be involved with Local Democracy Week, hosted by The Buckingham School this year, with students from both there and The Royal Latin School.
It was my first time attending this annual event and I was blown away by the questions asked by the students, their enthusiasm and engagement, and their willingness to share their thoughts and ideas.
Thank you to all the students, staff and fellow panel members, especially the officers from Thames Valley Police for participating.”
For enquiries, please contact Claire Molyneux at Buckingham Town Council on 01280 816426, communications@buckingham-tc.gov.uk