Kirklees

We’re committed to growing a stronger local democracy in Kirklees, from the ground up. We’ve worked with citizens from local places across Kirklees to create a shared goal for active citizenship, called “Shaped by People: We make our places what they are”. This is a shared strategic priority for Kirklees Council and our partners. Our aim is to enable more people to directly shape their local place, as active citizens, and for everyone to be involved in the decisions which affect their everyday lives. We have involved over 10,000 citizens in activities to shape their local neighbourhoods, through our How Good Is Our Place? programme, which focuses on meaningful conversations and actions in our local places. We have also worked with young citizens to create a pioneering Democracy Friendly Schools programme, to help children and young people learn about - and be an active part of - local democracy. Our work is based on the learning and recommendations of the Kirklees Democracy Commission. We explored what a vibrant local democracy should look like - for the next generation and beyond - by listening to and learning from our citizens. Our report 'Growing a Stronger Local Democracy' is based on a year of evidence-based research and debate, involving over 1,000 people.