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We meet councillors and Crawley's MP in person. Members have been to the Houses of Parliament to put questions to the people in charge.
Our event pulls in students from every Crawley secondary school to debate the topics they pick, with experts and leaders in the room.
Mental health, feeling safe, safer routes to school, and the classic one: somewhere to actually go. Your priorities set the agenda.
We are backed by Crawley Borough Council, so the views we gather feed into real decisions about the town you live in.
Not actors. Not adults writing what they think we sound like. Actual young people from Crawley, on why they walked in and why they stayed.
“I turned up thinking I would just sit at the back. Two months later I was helping run an event in front of actual councillors.”
“It is the one place where adults actually ask what we think, then do something with it. That is rare.”
“Got to visit Parliament and put a question to our MP. Tell me where else you do that at 15.”
Your tap is anonymous. Real ones like this shape what we take to the council.
Two minutes to register your interest. No experience needed, just an opinion and the nerve to share it.
Join the council →The Crawley Young Persons Council, or CYPC, exists so the people who run the town hear straight from the people growing up in it. We are young people aged 11 to 25 who live, work, or study in Crawley.
We meet about once a month at the Town Hall or a spot in the town centre. Elections happen every two years, and any young person in Crawley can put themselves forward for a seat.
We are backed by Crawley Borough Council's Community Development team, so our work plugs into real decisions. From grilling senior councillors to visiting Parliament and meeting Crawley's MP, we get young voices into rooms they usually get left out of.
Year 7 or already at college, work, or uni. There is a place for you either way.
You do not have to live in Crawley. If your school, college, or job is here, you count.
You do not need to be into politics or top of the class. Bring an opinion, that is it.
Usually a couple of hours at the Town Hall or town centre. Come when you can, no pressure if you miss one.
We share what is going on, pick the issues to push, and plan events. Everyone gets a say, not just the confident ones.
Sometimes guests like councillors drop in. Mostly we sort out what we are doing next and who is doing it.
A tour of the Houses of Parliament and a meeting with Crawley's MP, seeing how decisions get made.
Now in its fourth year, gathering students from across Crawley with workshops and a live panel.
We put safety, wellbeing, and stuff to do directly to the Leader of the Council and cabinet members.
Open events, meetings and sessions you can come along to. Spot one you fancy? Sign up and we'll know to expect you. No pressure, and you can just turn up too.
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Your opinion reaches councillors and decision makers, not just a comment box.
Speaking up, debating, and leading projects are skills that stick for life.
Looks brilliant on a CV, college or sixth form form, UCAS, or job application.
Connect with young people from every school and corner of Crawley.
From the Parliament visit to events and workshops, members get to go places.
Good people, real purpose, and the buzz of changing something annoying.
Sign up on the council's official form, or just email us. That is the whole first step.
Drop into a monthly meeting at the Town Hall and see what we are about.
Elections run every two years. Any young person in Crawley can nominate themselves.
Pick the issues you care about and start moving them forward.
One meeting, plus the odd event if you fancy it. We get that you have school, exams, and a life.
Cannot make a meeting? Come when you can. Nobody is checking a register.
Easier with a friend? Bring one. The more young people involved, the louder we are.
Nope. Most members turn up knowing nothing about how councils work. You learn as you go, and there is always someone to show you the ropes.
Not at all. You just need to care about something, whether that is mental health, bus routes, parks, or somewhere to hang out.
Completely. Loads of members start quiet. You will never be forced to speak in front of everyone, and confidence has a habit of sneaking up on you here.
Roughly one meeting a month, around an hour or two. Events and trips are extra and totally optional.
No. Joining and taking part is free.
You need to live, work, or study in Crawley. So if your school or college is here, you qualify even if you live just outside.
Yes. It is real leadership and teamwork experience that stands out on a CV, a college or sixth form application, UCAS, or an apprenticeship form.
Signing up takes about two minutes on Crawley Borough Council's official form. Everyone aged 11 to 25 who lives, works, or studies in Crawley is welcome.
Sign up on the council site →You do not have to be a member to be heard. If something in Crawley is doing your head in, or you have an idea that would make life better for young people here, send it over. We bring the stuff you raise to our meetings and to the council.
Spaces to hang out, things to do in the evenings and holidays, somewhere that is actually for us.
Lighting, dodgy spots, getting home, and feeling secure walking around town.
Support that is easy to reach, less stigma, and adults who take it seriously.
Loads of young people in Crawley vape, and loads want to stop. No lecture here: nicotine is genuinely addictive, which is why quitting feels hard and why wanting to quit is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you are thinking about stopping, this page is what actually helps.
You have heard "vaping is bad" a hundred times, so here is the actual why. These are not made up to frighten you, they are what doctors and the NHS have found.
Nicotine is one of the most addictive things going, and a teenage brain gets hooked quicker than an adult one. Signs of addiction can show up before you even vape every day, which is exactly why "I could stop whenever" is usually not true.
The brain keeps developing until about 25. Nicotine messes with the parts that handle focus, memory, mood and self-control while they are still forming, and that can stick around into adult life. Loads of vapers notice worse concentration and patchy sleep.
The most common reason young people give for vaping is stress or feeling low. The catch: nicotine withdrawal between vapes actually cranks anxiety up, so you vape to feel normal, not calm. It is a loop that makes the original feeling worse.
The aerosol is not steam. It carries fine chemicals deep into your lungs, and doctors are already seeing airway damage in young vapers. Because these products are new, nobody yet knows the full long-term picture, and that uncertainty is its own reason to be wary.
Research across many studies found teens who vape are several times more likely to end up smoking cigarettes later. What feels like a one-off habit now can set up a much harder one down the line.
None of this means you have wrecked anything. Bodies and brains recover once the nicotine is gone, and the sooner you stop the more of that you get back. Here is how.
Choose a quit date in the next two weeks and tell a mate. Saying it out loud makes it real, and a friend who knows is a friend who backs you up.
Going from lots to zero overnight is brutal. Cutting down how often you vape, or dropping the nicotine strength first, makes the final step much smaller.
Most vaping is habit moments: the walk to school, after food, when you are bored. Spot your moments and swap in something else: water, gum, music, literally anything for your hands.
Cravings feel massive but usually pass in a few minutes. Delay, distract, breathe. Every one you get through makes the next one weaker.
One vape does not undo your progress. Most people take a few goes to quit anything. Note what triggered it and go again. That is not failing, that is how quitting works.
Your GP or school nurse can help, free and without judgement, and these are solid places to start. If vaping around school or town is something you think Crawley should be doing more about, tell us and we will take it to the council.
Tell us what would help →Lots of CYPC members and visitors are under 18, so safeguarding isn't small print for us. It means trusted adults, clear rules about your information, and acting properly if we're ever worried about someone. Here's exactly how it works.
CYPC is supported by Crawley Borough Council. The online chat is monitored by approved adult staff, and when a real person joins your chat they are always clearly labelled CYPC STAFF, never pretending to be the bot.
If a chat or conversation suggests someone might be at risk, staff follow the council's safeguarding procedure. That can mean talking to you first, and if someone is in danger it can mean sharing information with people whose job is to keep young people safe, like social services. We'd rather have that conversation than stay silent.
The chat only ever holds what you type and, if you choose to give it, a phone number. It's used for safety and support, nothing else, and never sold or shared for any other reason. Want a chat deleted? Email us and it's gone.
Worried about yourself or a mate? You can raise it with any CYPC staff member at a meeting, or email us. You won't be judged and you won't be brushed off.
None of these need an adult's permission, none of them cost anything, and all of them have heard it all before. If something's wrong, don't sit on it.
Questions about joining, an event, or anything else? Drop us a line. If you already know you are in, skip ahead and register your interest.
Register your interest →Stay in the loop. Pop your email in and we'll let you know about events and ways to get involved.