London,
10
February
2011
|
23:00
Europe/London

Young people wanted to represent Hackney

Do you know an 11-18 year old who would be interested in standing for the UK Youth Parliament?

Hackney Council’s Youth Service Participation Team is looking for two new UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) representatives to act as the voice of the borough’s schools, colleges, and youth clubs.

To be eligible young people must live, study or work in Hackney, be under the age of 18 at the close of the elections, and have joined or are willing to join one of Hackney’s local neighbourhood youth forums in Stoke Newington, Shoreditch, Homerton or North East.

Young people interested in becoming a member of the UKYP are invited to come along to an information and training day at Hackney Town Hall, 12-3pm, on Saturday 12 February 2011.

Current Hackney members have had the chance to take part in debates in the House of Commons and have helped run high profile national youth campaigns, such as lowering the voting rights minimum age from 18 to 16.

Fifunmi Olusanya, 18, who is coming to the end of her two-year term, took part in the first Commons debate for young people in October 2009. She said: “Being a member of the Youth Parliament has helped me to broaden my knowledge about what is happening both politically and nationally and to see how issues affect the local community. I’ve also met many people from different areas and backgrounds, and have developed extra curricular skills that will definitely help me in the future.”

Candidates will be asked to write a manifesto that reflects their skills, attributes and reasons for wanting to become a member, also what they hope to achieve for the young people of Hackney and how they aim to do this. Deadline for manifesto submissions is Wednesday 23 February 2011.

Voting will take place at Hackney Youth Forums during the week of 28 February 2011.

For more details contact Mandy Richards on 07527 385680 or mandy.richards@hackney.gov.uk; or visit: www.younghackney.org