Claire Hazelgrove, MP for the Filton & Bradley Stoke, has thanked residents who attended her Coffee with Claire event at the Spitfire Hangar at Brabazon to share their views as part of a landmark government consultation on whether changes should be brought in to social media access for under-16s and, if so, what those should be.
Held in partnership with local youth charity, FACE – the Foundation for Active Community Engagement – parents, young people and representatives from across the community attended the event to share their views.
Claire made clear that she is determined to ensure that our community is part of helping the Government keep our children safe online and that she will share feedback from the event and her online survey directly with Government Ministers.
Claire said: “What’s right to do about social media access for under-16s is both an important and complex issue – for young people, parents, schools, and policymakers. That’s why I want local voices to be at the heart of any change.
“Thank you to fellow residents who came to this event and contributed so thoughtfully on this together, with every table working to find that right balance between safety and freedoms. I know everyone there appreciated hearing from local young people about their experiences and views, which matter in this so that we can shape the right, realistic approach.
“I’d also like to thank FACE for partnering with me on this event and bringing their expertise.
“I am running an online survey on this too to hear from as many people across our constituency as possible, so please do fill it in. I’ll collate local views and share them directly with the Government Ministers who will ultimately decide on this, making sure our community’s voice is heard nationally.”
FACE charity director Debbie Teml said: “It was fantastic to see so many people engaging in such an important but complex topic, and for our young people to be part of the conversation. They were grateful for the opportunity to meet with their MP and to have a voice in something that directly affects them and future generations. It was inspiring to see young people having the chance to engage with politics on a real and local level.”