Monmouthshire County Council’s Chair engages with children and young people across the county

Following the appointment as Chair of the Council, Cllr Su McConnel has been busy visiting a number of organisations and events across the county and speaking to residents.

Cllr Su McConnel was elected as Chair of Council on the 16th of May and will be in post for the Civic Year 2024/25. Cllr McConnell is a member of the council for the Croesonen ward.

Over the last week, Cllr McConnel has visited schools and the Youth Service conference to learn more about topics that are important to children and young people right across Monmouthshire and share her experiences working for the community.

On Wednesday, the 10th of July, Cllr McConnel attended the MonLife Youth Service annual conference at County Hall, Usk. Speaking to learners from King Henry VIII 3-19 School, Monmouth Comprehensive School and Chepstow School, Cllr McConnel spoke and listened to participants on a number of topics that arose from the Make Your Mark ballot. As well as learning about the main issues that are important to young people, Cllr McConnel provided insight into her role as the Chair of the Council and as a Council Member for her community.

Cllr Su McConnel, Chair of Monmouthshire County Council, said: “The MonLife Youth Service Conference provided me with the opportunity to learn more about the impact of the Cost of Living crises, the importance of Mental Health and local transport on young people’s lives. As a council, we have a role to help and understand the topics that are important to our young people, and it was fantastic to listen to the young people engage with MCC officers and other organisations in attendance.”

Following the conference, the Chair visited King Henry VIII 3-19 School to watch their production of West Side Story.

The final visit took place at Llantilio Pertholey Primary School, Cllr McConnel spoke to learners about her role as the Chair of Monmouthshire County Council and in the community. The visit was part of the school’s project on VIPs, which has seen learners speak to a lawyer, a Paralympian, and other members of the public who work tirelessly to improve life in Monmouthshire.

Cllr Su McConnel continues: “What a wonderful week it has been visiting some of our local schools. My visit to Llantilio Pertholey Primary School showed that you can be interested in working in the community at whatever age you are. I’d like to thank the learners for giving me the opportunity to speak to them about my role and for the hard-hitting questions that followed.

I want to thank King Henry VIII 3-19 School for inviting me to attend their West Side Story production. We all know that there are some talented individuals in Monmouthshire, but this confirmed that the performing arts in Monmouthshire and Wales are truly alive. Congratulations to the learners and teachers on putting on a fantastic show.”