SOUTH YORKSHIRE CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY
Letters have been sent out to 30,000 randomly selected households across South Yorkshire asking them to register their interest in being one of 100 people selected by lottery to take part in the South Yorkshire Citizens’ Assembly, answering the important question:
The way our climate is changing will impact us all. How should we respond, to build a thriving and sustainable future for South Yorkshire?
If you have received the invitation letter and decide to take part, key details and frequently asked questions are enclosed in the invitation. If you take part, we will give you £300 to recognise the value of your time.
Why are we running a Citizens’ Assembly?
To the communities of South Yorkshire,
I’m Oliver, South Yorkshire’s Mayor. I’m asking you to join me as we shape South Yorkshire’s future through a Citizens’ Assembly.
Because of the way the world’s climate is changing, we are all going to be asked to change how we live our lives.
If we get it right, we can make our homes warmer and cheaper to run, we can create thousands of jobs in the new industries of the future, and we can create healthier, cleaner and greener places to live, right across our region.
Change never comes without its challenges. In South Yorkshire, we know all too well what can happen when change is forced upon us from the outside; when our industries are shut down and our way of life is undermined in the name of progress.
As South Yorkshire’s Mayor, I’m determined that we take on the challenge of climate change together, and we grasp the opportunities that change will present us with too. But to get there, I’ll need your help. That’s why we’re organising a South Yorkshire Citizens' Assembly, and compensating people for their time.
Our Citizens' Assembly is part of my promise to do politics differently, putting the voice of our communities at the heart of how we make decisions.
The South Yorkshire Citizen’s Assembly is how we start a conversation that will help us answer some difficult, urgent questions about our future. I have no doubt that if we work together, we can make sure that our best days truly are ahead of us.
Best wishes,
Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor
What is a Citizens’ Assembly?
This Citizens’ Assembly will follow an established democratic process that is used all over the world. It brings together a group of people selected by lottery, who broadly represent the entire community. The people who attend learn about issues, discuss them with one another, and then make recommendations about what should happen and how things should change.