Poole Borough Council aims to get teenagers engaged in politics by encouraging them to run for a seat in the UK’s youth parliament.
This Friday at the Poole Civic Centre children between the ages of 13 and 18 will have the opportunity to present a manifesto in the hope of being elected.
The event will be opened by the mayor of Poole Cllr Graham Wilson. He said: “Its really nice to see young people getting involved and learning how to represent other peoples interests as well as their own.
“I’m a father, grandfather and a great-grandfather, so my agenda is to support young people. I’m a governor at three schools, anything I can do to help young people I will.
“I’m Inspired because the young people are so articulate.”
Over 600 representatives from participating regions across the UK are elected by their peers to the Youth Parliament each year.
Members of the Youth Parliament (MYPs) sit once a year in the House of Commons in a session chaired by the speaker. It is their job to influence decision makers through projects and campaigns on issues important to young people.
Outgoing deputy MYP for Poole Vicky Olive said: “UKYP is a brilliant way for young people to have a voice and make a difference in their community.
“It is really good fun, I’ve made so many friends through UKYP, plus gained lots of new skills. It is also a brilliant thing to put on your CV and great experience for anything in the future.
“I hope to go to university to study Politics and Economics, with a career in politics in the future, perhaps as a lobbyist or researcher.”
Last year the Youth Parliament ran campaigns such as ‘scrap university tuition fees’, ‘political education for all’ and ‘cheaper bus fares for young people’.
Senior youth worker Peter Cooper said: “It’s a really vibrant experience for all the young people involved and I would encourage as many young people as possible to come along and cast their vote.”
The event will run from 6-9pm.
UK Youth Parliament promotional video:
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Related Links:
UK Youth Parliament Website
South West MYPs
The UKYP 2011 Manifesto
- Main Image © UK Parliament – licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v1.0.
