Gateshead Community Network recognised the need for children and young people to become more aware of how decisions that affect their lives are made.

We established links with the school council from Lord Lawson of Beamish who agreed to host the meetings of Gateshead School Council members for the first year.

During these meetings it became apparent that each school council worked in different ways, and had little or no contact with other school councils to pass on any good practice.

As the school councils were keen to meet and talk to each other GCN organised a conference to take place in October 2007. All schools in the Borough were invited and asked to bring with them three things that they, as a school council, had achieved within their school.

The Junior Network meetings continued with an additional two schools agreeing to be hosts (Colegate Primary and Bill Quay Primary) while Lord Lawson continued to mentor.

Junior Network meetings are held twice per year and we have an annual conference in the Autumn.

For more in formation about the Junior Network please contact Mark Shilcock at GCN details on the Contacts page