BRUM YOUNG HAVE IMPACT ON BROWN’S BUDGET

Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, today welcomed the Chancellor Gordon Brown’s proposal for a new challenge fund to reward the innovative ideas of our young people.

The announcement, made during the Chancellor’s 2006 Budget, will see innovative ideas for youth and community projects rewarded, and will mean our young people’s dreams could become a reality.
The new policy announcement follows the Chancellor’s recent visit to one of Liam’s youth conferences at Park View School in Washwood Heath, at which young people had the chance to tell Liam their hopes and dreams for our community. Liam believes the Chancellor’s experience at Park View was part of the inspiration behind setting up the challenge fund.

The new fund follows the announcement earlier this month that Birmingham’s is to receive a cash bonanza from the Department for Education to give the cities young people a greater say in local decision making.

Liam said

“This new fund is exciting news for all those young people who have attended my youth conferences over the past few months. To have the Chancellor attend at Park View School was great, but for him to be so impressed by our young people to launch this scheme is just superb.’

“It sends a message to our young people – that you are heard by this Government, and that this you now have an even greater chance to shape our community with your imagination.”

“I will be writing to everyone who attended one of my youth conferences over the next few weeks to extend my thanks and congratulations, and to share the findings of our 2nd Hodge Hill Youth Conference report”.