Ready for Local Democracy Week

European Local Democracy Week logo

Rochdale Borough Council is trying new initiatives aimed at increasing people’s knowledge of local democracy and promoting the idea of getting more involved locally.

It’s part of Local Democracy Week which runs from 15-21 October and will see local authorities across Europe organising events to meet and better engage with local people on issues of interest.

• From 17 October the Council will be tweeting live updates from full council meetings. 
• On 17 October, members of Rochdale Youth Council will be invited into the council chamber for a debate on Human Rights. 
• Staff will be visiting older people’s groups to show them all the different ways they can get involved with local issues. They will also be talking to students at local colleges about registering to vote and why it is important they speak up and have their say. 
• The council’s ‘Mayor for the Day’ competition will be launched - a search for a teenager who will find out what it’s like to become the boroughs first citizen. 
• Children from local primary schools are being invited on special tours of the town hall, including meeting the Mayor in his Parlour and inside the Council Chamber where key meetings take place. 
• Middleton residents who use Twitter will be able to tweet their questions about any council related matter before next month’s Middleton Township Committee Meeting. 
• Also in the pipeline are plans for councillors to face questions from young people in front of a live audience who will then vote for their favourite.