9.1 Pledges

What is a pledge?

If a Pledge has been made we will work with you to ensure it is fulfilled. A Pledge is when a politician offers to take an action on behalf of a group of learners. Pledges can take many different forms, including:

• A promise to advocate for meaningful change around that issue or cause on behalf of the learners. 
• A commitment to stay in touch with the learners, either by agreeing to do follow up conversations or inviting the learners to visit them at the council chamber / Senedd / etc.
• A promise to get back to a learner whose question they were unable to answer due to not having the information they needed to hand.
  _1 in 5 Digital Dialogues end in a pledge. _
  Pledges enable young people to see the impact that politicians, at all levels, can have on the big, and little, things. By demonstrating when politicians do what they say they will, we aim to build trust and establish strong relationships between young people and their representatives in our daily lives.

It's important to note that when the questions your learners ask are very relevant and current to the role of the politician they are speaking with, it is much more likely that a pledge will occur. This is definitely something to bear in mind when doing question formulation activities with your class. 
When you speak one-to-one with a member of the TPP team, feel free to ask any questions you have about pledges!

Examples of pledges

Joel James (MS) offered learners at Cowbridge Comprehensive school work experience
On 20th March 2024, Joel James MS of Welsh Conservatives, took part in a Digital Dialogue with an A Level Class at Cowbridge Comprehensive. During the session, the class showed a great interest in politics and wanted to understand how best to get involved. 
Joel responded by encouraging the learners to get involved in their communities and decision making. He also offered to have learners complete work experience with him at his office. 
The majority of the class took Joel up on this offer for work experience in both his offices and Joel's office has worked closely with the school to facilitate this.

Lee Waters MS asks a question about NHS dentists in the Senedd
On 22nd March 2024, Lee Waters MS took part in a Digital Dialogue with Y6 learners at Bigyn Primary School. A learner asked Lee why there are so few NHS dentists in Llanelli. They explained that some of the class haven't been to the dentist in years because of the cost. The class asked Lee to raise this issue in the Senedd. Lee agreed and promised to update the school on this by coming in to visit.

Watch this video to find out what Lee did next…