Youth charities are highlighting the importance of encouraging young people to vote

We need is to get good quality information to young voters quickly so their opportunity isn’t wasted.

More should be done to engage young people in this year’s independence referendum according to two youth support charities.

Fast Forward, which offers young people guidance regarding lifestyle choices, and drugs information charity Crew say they are increasingly concerned not enough young people are registered to vote and that there is no national strategy to engage them in the referendum.

As a result, along with the Scottish Peer Education Network, they have organised a conference to highlight to adults such as teachers; social workers; and those in the voluntary, youth and community sectors the importance of influencing young people to vote and methods to encourage them to do so.

“Young people seem perfectly willing to vote and are no more apathetic than older people. However, the major issue is that 57% of young people who have a historical first opportunity to vote do not feel close to any political party at all,” Jeremy Adderley, senior manager at Crew, said.

“The need is to get good quality information to young voters quickly so their opportunity isn’t wasted. All our decisions are informed through discussion with our community peers about things that matter to us, and young people need this opportunity too in order to discuss and prioritise what’s important to them.”

The Edinburgh conference will feature a talk delivered by member of the Scottish Youth Parliament Jordan Linden, and a workshop by Will Golding of Edinburgh Council’s Ah Dinnae Dae Politics project.