We are all looking forward to meeting the delegates at the first Young England and Wales Programme of the year, later this month. Click here to see who they are. The next event after that is the 2020 Young Local Authority of the Year, which is open now for booking. Teams of two from across the UK will gather in Lancaster for two days of exciting competition on 22 and 23 April. Click here for brochure and entry form. Latest local authorities to book: Hull City Council, London Borough of Redbridge, Stockport Council, South Lanarkshire Council. The closing date for entry is Thursday 12 March – but if you intend to take part, don’t leave booking until the last minute. This event fills up fast!

Also open for booking now: the Summer Young England and Wales Programme (2 to 5 June, Lancaster). Click here for brochure and booking form.

The first Young Ireland Programme of 2020 ran simultaneously with the return of the Young Scotland and Northern Ireland Programme, an event which has its origins in 2003, when the programme was in its early days. On the final evening, the title Ireland Young Thinker of the Year went to Catherine Power (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) for a well researched paper arguing powerfully for a four-day working week. Barbara Monahan (Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection) took the runner-up title with her lively paper calling for a new approach to the teaching of Irish in schools.

The Scotland and Northern Ireland title went to Mathias Kupiec (Virgin Money UK) arguing that the equality in the workplace journey has been hijacked and is being steered to a 'dangerous suburb' forcing organisations to prioritise equal representation of men and women above other factors. Runner-up Luke Driscoll (Student Awards Agency Scotland) made the case in his lyrical paper for greater access to green spaces for British schoolchildren. Click here for photos.