Fenland’s youth district council could play a more active role in raising the aspirations of young people, councillors were told.

A report to last Thursday’s meeting of Fenland District Council said Fenland has been “identified as an area of low arts participation, low aspiration and low outcomes.

“The Young Fenland Cultural Consortium believes this can be changed by investment and supporting young people to become cultural leaders of the future”.

Councillor Gavin Booth asked if the youth district council could lead this work.

Councillor Michelle Tanfield, portfolio holder for young people, said: “I have had talks with the youth district council on how they can go into the schools to try and help people see there are loads of things they can get involved in.

“The proportion of children self-harming is astronomical and terrible. We need to get to them before they do this. They (youth council members) know what young people go through but they choose different paths.”