Plans to give young people a voice in key decisions at a Norfolk hospital have been praised by His Majesty The King.
He was contacted when the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn announced plans for a Youth Council, which would see 16 to 25-year-olds given the opportunity to feed a younger perspective into the hospital’s work.
Having been updated about the project, one of his team wrote back saying the King “was heartened to learn about the formation of the Youth Council and its aim to ensure the voice of young people is heard, paving the way for meaningful contributions and changes in the community.”
Work is ongoing through the summer to tell people about the youth council and encourage them to come forward before the first 15 are selected in the autumn.
The letter adds: “As you embark on the selection, His Majesty sends his warmest wishes to all those concerned.”
The King, who is a patron of the hospital, was written to by Alex Stewart, chief executive of Healthwatch Norfolk which is working on the project with the hospital, to update him on its progress.
Alex said:
“We know His Majesty has a very great interest in any project which helps the voice of younger people be heard.
“All of us working on it are greatly encouraged by his support and we hope this will be an added way of helping to ensure people are aware of the project and get involved.
“Once the Youth Council is up and running, we would, of course, welcome the opportunity for King Charles to meet its members.”
Chris Lawrence, chair of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, added:
“Young people are our future, so it is really important that we engage with them and hear their voices as we prepare for the new hospital for King’s Lynn and beyond. It is wonderful to have our patron – His Majesty – support us as we begin this new chapter.
“With Healthwatch Norfolk as our partner in this project, we look forward to sharing with him the work we do together.”
Community backs council
The King is not the only supporter, with local organisations and bodies also offering help in reaching 16 to 25-year-olds to make them aware of the project.
In recent weeks, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council and many of its councillors, Lynnsport, Discover King’s Lynn, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses, as well as organisations across the county border in both Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, have already spread the word.
The Healthwatch Norfolk team will also be visiting schools and colleges after the summer break to update them on progress and tell students how they can get involved.
Alex said: “We are very grateful for all the support we have received so far from the communities served by the hospital. A number of young people have already registered their interest in the Youth Council with us and we will keep them up to date on our progress.
“Application forms and packs are currently being worked on and we will be inviting people to apply very shortly.”
More information
You can find out more about the youth council on its website https://teamqehyouth.co.uk/ or you can email the Youth Council team on [email protected]
There is also an opportunity to find out more about the Youth Council face-to-face when the Healthwatch Norfolk team visit:
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 9.30am to 3pm on Tuesday August 13
- Lynnsport from 3.30pm to 5.30pm on Tuesday August 13
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 9.30am to 3pm on Wednesday August 14
- King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride on Saturday August 17
