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Narrator: Have you ever had the chance to decide how to spend loads of money? Well, that’s what happened last year in Newcastle to hundreds of children and young people. The Newcastle Partnership gave us £30,000 and said we could decide what to do with it.
We jumped at the chance, and spent the whole lot on really good stuff. We heard about lots of ideas from kids across the city, and voted for the best ones to be funded.
We know we made a difference to young people’s lives in our city.
We were dead keen when we heard we were gonna get the chance to do it again this year. But we went for a different angle this time. We wanted more time to think and talk about different ideas, so we went to our school councils.
Cos if you’re gonna decide how to spend loads of money you’ve got to be fair, and not just think of yourself...
James, pupil at Farne Primary School: It’s where like kids instead of adults get to do democracy
Narrator: So, where did we start this time around?
Well, two years ago Newcastle’s children and young people came up with this list of things that mattered to them.
Pupils at Farne Primary School:
Respect for children and young people
Sports and leisure
Road safety
Places to play outdoors
Public transport
Better lessons better people in school
Health
Having your say
Crime and policing
Bulling & Discrimination
Spending time with friends
Nicer places to live.
Narrator: For U decide, we asked children in different schools to vote for their top, top one from the list.
James: The Udecide people came to our school and gave us a ballet box which we put ideas in.
Narrator: It wasn’t easy to decide
Craig, pupil at Farne Primary: I thought it was sports and leisure was the most important I think its cos it makes children fit and they might lead a better lifestyle when they are older.
Anna, pupil at St. Oswald’s: Yeah health because if people get to fat sometimes they could die and it’s quite important.
Jack, pupil at Farne Primary: Bullying, cos people in year two get bullied by biggins and stuff
Luke, pupil at St. Oswald’s: Well I think again road safety because there are lots of schools around here and it is always very busy in the mornings with all the cars coming in some children walk and have to cross the road.
Demi, pupil at Farne Primary: Road safety cos you’ve got to be careful in case like cars are coming and you might get hit
Jessica, pupil at St. Oswald’s: I think bullying and discrimination was the most important thing because a lot of people get bullied in school and lots of people stay off school because they are so nervous if they get bullied again.
Alfie, pupil at St. Oswald’s: I think policing and crime is very important because lots of people are taking on crime so they can get what they want in there life and I don’t think it is right.
Narrator: But from over 1,000 votes, the winner was clear
Pupils from Farne and St. Oswald’s: ‘sports and leisure’
Narrator: So now we knew what mattered most, we had to come up with ideas for spending the money
We got some of our school councils together to talk about all the ideas that had come from all the schools, and make sure everyone had a chance to say what they thought.
Christopher, pupil at Farne Primary: “Walbottle wanted a radio station so that when the kids - when people were having their lunch - they could listen to news about what’s going on in the school”
James: “Our idea was a multi-sports area - it’s where you’re allowed to play tournaments, like the Newbiggin Hall cup and cricket and that, and toddlers can play in it. The after school club can use it. It will benefit 250 to 1000 kids.
Christopher: Trampolining for All saints they wanted uniforms so they looked the part when they were doing tournaments and things like that
Narrator: After all this, we had a massive conference to discuss all the ideas and decide which ones were gonna win the money.
Sian, pupil at Farne Primary: Then we went in to this like conference room
James: Everyone did a presentation
Demi: We discussed it
Sian: We voted on our pads
James: Then we had to vote for whose was the best we had to give it a mark of one to nine who ever got the most votes at the end won.
Narrator: It was really good to get the chance to make our own decisions. Everyone voted - everyone EXCEPT the adults, of course.
James: Yeah cos the adults just are boring and they pick different stuff - like boring stuff - but the children can have a go at spending money, instead of adults
Narrator: But we’ve decided to let you hear what some adults had to say about U decide - these ones aren’t too boring
Liz, Farne Primary: The children have been really exited and really interested in the poses they’ve enjoyed working with other people on the estate looking at the different ideas but there excitement and enthusiasm they have really really enjoyed it.
Rose, St. Mark’s Primary: I think it’s a fabulous experience for them because we initially spoke to the school council and then we gathered there ideas and they went off they spoke to all there various classes so the whole school has been involved.
Christine and Sharron, Cheviot Primary: They have all talked it through they have been really involved they have done the decision making decided what it was they wanted and why they wanted it and then they have really taken responsibility for everything . Its all there choices and there reasons as to why they would like the money and what they would use the money for.
Martin, Linhope PRU: We were quite interested in where the money could be spent they had some very interesting ideas of why the money is allocated in different ways its there voice for a change out of adults hands.
Rose: They have made all of the decisions really I have had virtually no input and they have decided and it’s amazing when you get the children together they have really discussed the merits of it and did they think they had addressed it and discussed the criteria and what they were trying to get a cross was it worth while did they like it they have been very very good with there comments today.
Martin: As the day has gone on they are enjoying it more and more they are feeling as if this is great and that they would love to do more and more days infact the feed back that I have got back from them is I want to do more of this.
Narrator: Right, that’s enough of them - let’s get back to our big U decide voting day
It was a bit nerve-racking, cos people couldn’t help hoping their own ideas would win. And we had loads of fun.
Sian, Farne Primary: It’s been loads of fun we were really nervous at first but now we are having the time of our life
Molly, St Oswald’s: Scary
Isabelle: Terrifying
Molly: Really scary
Jacob: There was quite a lot of people but I think we did it really well.
James: It was good.
Sian: It went by fast.
James: We were really nervous at first.
Sian: It went by really fast and I thought it was really funny cos I was really funny like doing it in front of all of the other schools.
Interviewer: So do you think you’ll win?
St Oswald’s pupils: Fingers crossed yeah, we’d like to win. But if we don’t, we’ve had a good day.
Narrator: FINALLY - the results came in - it was dead exciting!
Elaine, U Decide MC: This is what you decided:
Beech Hill Climbing wall =£3,550
St John Vianney Super Sports Site =£5,500
St Oswalds Obstacle course £13,897
Farne Primary Safe Play Area £7,000
Demi: I felt as if I was gonna burst! As if we were so lucky
James: Just amazing, it was brilliant, then we just started shouting and saying thank you to everybody for voting for us.
Christopher: It was brilliant. We all waited outside for the taxi and we were all laughing and it was dead good.
Narrator: Cos of our U decide votes some brilliant things have happened in our schools.
We are so proud of what we’ve achieved.
So, can children and young people do a good job of spending public money?
Well, you’ve seen us in action for two years running now. Are we great, or what? … YOU decide!
Page last updated: 14 March, 2012
