Young Mayor Network

BYC and the Young Mayor Network Join Forces

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:58:00 +0000

The British Youth Council (BYC) and the Young Mayor Network (YMN) are delighted to announce that they are joining forces.

Both organisations have reaffirmed their commitment to valuing and supporting the right of young people to have a say in our society and will now work together to fulfil that goal by providing opportunities, skills and experience to young people at a local, regional and national level.

The 12 strong Young Mayor Network was established and hosted by the Campaign Company in 2008. BYC, which was established in 1948 as the national youth council of the UK, will take over this hosting role and link in YMN to its broader network of 620 local youth councils, and 130 member organisations.

BYC Chair, Liam Preston, aged 25, comments:
"We are delighted to be joining with YMN. It makes sense as Young Mayors are already connected to their local youth councils or cabinets that we support at a national level. We can now share resources and support to be more effective together."

Matthew Upton, Director of Youth Services at the Campaign Company says:
“We have been delighted to support the Young Mayor Network and will continue to be advocates of the role of Young Mayors across the country. We believe this will not only increase the profiles, reach and circle of influence of both organisations, but will open up new opportunities for support, skills development and access to investment in youth participation.”

Young Mayor of Lewisham, Jacab Sakil, aged 17 adds:
“This is our chance to work more closely together to have a greater say and a stronger voice. As a network we are strong and by coming together with BYC we are stronger still. I look forward to a successful future.”

'Red Ed'?

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 07:01:00 +0000

For those who didn’t know, Ed Miliband won the Labour leadership contest and is now Leader of the Labour Party. He delivered his first speech as the Leader of the Labour Party this afternoon and it wasn’t bad at all.
Although I thought his speech was satisfactory, it was filled with maturity, equality and fairness. He spoke about key issues that tainted Labour’s prospect of winning the chance to form the government earlier this summer. The lack of real control on globalisation and the subsequent influx of immigrants, the failure to regulate the banks when they needed to were two of a few issues looked upon as failure.
However what moved me was the fact that he spoke about the deep social inequality present in our community. He spoke about the need of Trade Unions to protect workers right which cannot be advocated for successfully on an individual basis. ‘‘Yes!’’ to the Alternative voting system which is fairer and more representative than the current one. He expressed that ‘’the gap between the rich and poor does matter’’ and it does indeed.
It was pretty clear that his foreign policies will not be subject favouritism and condemned Israel failure to recognise the ‘Palestinians’ right to statehood’. He branded the Iraq war as ‘’wrong’’ although he did comprehend the difficult dilemma Tony Blair faced.
The only question that has been left pondering in my head is; will the Labour Party be united under Ed Miliband? I simply do not know. But it will definitely be interesting to see how he deals with the Blairites, Brownites and every other ‘ites’ in between.
Now that Labour has a leader, the battle of the parties during ‘Prime Minister’s Question Time’ and other political debates will certainly be something to look forward to.
Luziane - YMN coordinator

Residential 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:47:00 +0000

The Young Mayor Network held its residential last weekend near Paddock Wood in Kent. The aim of the residential was primarily to have fun and to get boroughs to familiarise themselves with each other. It was brilliant! Every moment was memorable. We particularly enjoyed the Paintball. The mud, flooded barricades and the low trees made it seem like we were really at war. The war of attrition left a few bruises on most of us and some vowing never to paintball again!

After dinner and a warm shower, we gathered around a huge camp fire (after some trouble getting it started!) where we shared riddles, stories and poems.

What I particularly enjoyed about the weekend was the level of cooperation that was going on between the boroughs. This was only helped by the teambuilding activities as we broke the centre’s record when playing a game of stacking crates and we’ve had a quite a few pairs complete the daunting Jacob’s ladder.

All in all, although we were out of our comfort zone, we stuck together like the network that we are and we made sure that whatever nature threw at us, we were going to get through it with a laugh, which we did.

What a weekend!

Luziane Tchiegue-Nouta

Employment prospects for young people

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:57:00 +0000

Greetings all.

As you all know, Britain along with the rest of the world went through a recession. What made it so bad was the unemployment rate which stands at 72.5% (28.93 million) most of those being within the age range of 18-25.

My question to you is:

What can the government do to increase employment prospects for young people?

GET INVOLVE!

Jacob Sakil is the Sixth Young Mayor for Lewisham

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Sorry to everyone for the delay on this story. But for those who didn't know, Lewisham has it's Sixth Young Mayor! Check out the story below:

Lewisham, the first London borough to elect a Young Mayor chose their 6th representative on the 16th October 2009. The most competitive campaign yet saw 15 young people between the ages of 14 to 17 battling it out on the streets of Lewisham to secure the votes that could earn them the title of Young Mayor. Three weeks of campaigning were packed with feisty hustings, innovative video campaigns, conventional leafleting, groups on social networking websites, colourful propaganda, T-shirts and recognisable posters. It seemed the margin between each candidate was only going to be a few votes.

Miguel, the outgoing Young Mayor said that the election campaign, "...is a great way to get a lot of young people talking", he added that "Even though there can only be 2 top spots, every candidate has worked extremely hard to get their message across. The majority of the candidates had big campaign teams which has been great!"

The atmosphere at results night was unbelievable. Former young mayors, councillors, council officers, partner organisations and members of the public, old and young, all gathered in the Civic Suite to hear the announcement. After what seemed to be a long period of suspense, Jacob Sakil was declared as Lewisham’s Sixth Young Mayor, with Lola Mustapha as his Deputy. It was really close between the two with only 100 votes separating them. Jacob was shocked, saying, "It was exactly what I wanted but I didn’t prepare myself for it. I couldn’t back down and now I have to continue down this road and show people that their vote wasn’t in vain!". Lola described the atmosphere, saying, "It's Great! I’m happy to see so many young people supporting a good cause".

Once again Lewisham set the trend by breaking the record in London with a staggering 52% turnout. The new Young Mayor took these figures to heart adding that "It shows that young people are getting involved and they are starting to understand that they can shape their lives and the way they view the world. They can take their ideas to a whole new level."

What does the future hold for the pair? No one can be sure, but their future is certainly bright. By the end of their term, both are hoping to make real achievements on issues they feel passionate about. Lola would like to improve work experience and get involved in services that deal with young women and young parents. Jacob wants to make young people independent. "I want them to stop relying on the government and give them the tools so they can innovate and make a better Lewisham”, he said.

You can get in touch with Jacob & Lola by emailing youngcitizens@lewisham.gov.uk or contacting the Young Mayor's office on 020 8314 6354.

Is Stop and Search out of control??

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:55:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

It’s that time of the year when most of us will be out and about looking for ways to

celebrate the New Year in style. Due to that, some of us will be stopped and searched

quite a few times. Statistics show that you are more likely to be stopped and

searched if you are under 25, male and Asian. And it has also been reported that

White

people are detained to ‘balance racial statistics'

Have you ever been stopped and searched?

Do you know your rights around stop and search?

Do you know how to complaint once you have been stopped and searched?

GET INVOLVED!!

LGiU call for Councils to do more...

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:21:00 +0000

...to involve vulnerable young people in initiatives like Young Mayor elections.

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Youth-Work/970935/Councils-involve-vulnerable-young-people-participation/

Kaycee making waves...

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Early on Tuesday morning, Young Mayor of Newham Kaycee de Belen went to St. Pancras Station with Seb Coe to wave off a group of young people from Newham on a journey to Sheffield to spread the benefits of the London 2012 legacy.

Newham is one of the boroughs which will benefit most from the 2012 Games and Kaycee (and Joshua and Zuhayb before her) have been there every step of the way.

See the full story here...

http://www.london2012.com/blog/2009/11/13/sharing-the-educational-legacy-of-the-games-around-the-u.php

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Congratulations to Kaycee de Belen who, with over 2,600 votes, has been elected as the first female Young Mayor of Newham. It was a fantastic night in East Ham Town Hall as outgoing Young Mayor Joshua Adejokun, handed over to Kaycee. Kaycee said: "Thank you to all my supporters throughout the campaign that helped me achieve my goal.

"I am so proud and excited to be the new Young Mayor of Newham and be the voice for young people in our borough.

"I am looking forward to reducing youth crime, creating better youth opportunities and focusing on education."

Look forward to working with you in the YMN!

Record turnout in Lewisham...

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:28:00 +0000

52% turnout in the election for Young Mayor of Lewisham - continues to go from success to success...

Young Mayor of Newham 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Voting has started for the Young Mayor elections in Newham. After a primary election earlier this month, Newham's young people have chosen fifteen candidates to go forward to the next round of voting.

Outgoing Young Mayor Joshua Adejokun urged everyone aged 11 to 17 in Newham to vote 'to make sure your views, hopes and aspirations for the borough can become reality'. Adult Mayor Sir Robin Wales is also supporting the ballot. Young people can vote in schools, colleges and Connexions centres.

You can see the candidates' manifestos and video statements online at http://www.newham.gov.uk/youngmayor/elections/. The winning candidate, along with the youth council, will represent the views of young people across the borough, and has a key role deciding on local priorities and advising the council.

Results are expected on Thursday night, and will be published here as soon as we know!

Should the DNA of innocent people be kept on the police database?

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:09:00 +0000

"More than 300 children a day have their DNA taken by the police and added to the national database.

Already 412,670 youngsters under 15 have their genetic profiles stored.

The DNA samples, from children as young as ten, are kept regardless of whether or not they were ever charged."

Do you think this is right? Should innocent people have their DNA stored into a database that's meant to be for criminals? Surely it must be against one's human rights.

What do YOU think?

Hi everyone :)

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:55:00 +0000

Hi everyone :)

I just wanted to introduce myself and to familiarise myself with everyone who is a member of the Young Mayor Network. My name is Luziane, I'm 17 years and I'm about to start my 2nd year of college to study Spanish, French, History and Economics A2 levels.

I applied for this job because I've always thought that the YMN has a huge potential and it is up to us to take the initiative to make sure that potential does not go to waste. Hence, I will need everyone's participation in order to deliver what you want. I need your feedbacks, comments and criticism to make sure we hit the road to success.

I shall keep you posted with my forthcoming achievements but in the meantime make sure you keep in touch and post any ideas.

Luziane

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Congratulations to Luziane Tchiegue-Nouta who has just been appointed as the new co-ordinator of the Young Mayor Network. Luziane is a young advisor working with the young mayor in Lewisham. I'm sure you'll be hearing from her soon!!

MYPs and young mayors

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:42:00 +0000

YMN ran a workshop last weekend at the UK Youth Parliament Annual sitting to talk about how young mayors and MYPs can work together. We were joined by representatives from the British Youth Council and Young Advisor's - it is clear that a lot of great stuff is happening locally and we talked about how to work more closely alongside each other. Everyone was very keen that it shouldn't just be a talking shop so watch this space...

Steady progress...

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:53:00 +0000

Still so much work to be done, but CYP Now article looks at how young people, through things like the young mayor programme, are increasingly being listened to
http://tinyurl.com/nnnlz2

Young mayors in parliament

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:26:00 +0000

Over 50 local authorities from across the country came together yesterday to find out more about how the young mayor model works and how it might be implemented in their local area. A passionate debate around the different models of youth engagement was the highlight of the day and underlined the need to think carefully about how young mayors and youth councils can complement each other. The end game for everyone is the same and it is essential to remember that we are not in competition! The YMN are here to answer any questions about the young mayor process and look forward to carrying on the debate with everyone present and many more. Also, if you were at the event yesterday and want your copy of the film, get in touch and let us know where to send it!

Newham in the news...

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Young Mayor of Newham Joshua Adejokun has urged directors of children services across the country to set up young mayor schemes in their own areas.

http://tinyurl.com/de3lk6

Young Mayor of Newham Joshua Adejokun writes today in a special edition of the SocietyGuardian. Joshua talks about his experiences as a young person and why it is important to inspire other young people to get involved in changing their society on a very local level.

http://tinyurl.com/djo35d

Young Mayor live broadcast...

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:06:00 +0000

The first radio show by the Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets goes out next Friday (24th April) at 6pm. You can listen to it here: http://www.xstreameast.co.uk/

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:21:00 +0000

'I’ve always been a little critical of society. I feel annoyed when decisions are made without young people being consulted, especially if the decision influences us. Before I was elected as Young Mayor, I felt discriminated against because of my age; some of my older friends told me I was too young to have such a responsible role.'

So said Joshua Adejokun, Young Mayor of Newham, at a speech yesterday to the Association of Director's of Children's Services. Do you agree?

Willing but not Wanting

noreply@blogger.com (ZuhaybTCC) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Only a quarter of young people will definitely vote in the next election even though most think it is important to vote, according to figures published by the Hansard Society today.

The political education charity's sixth Audit of Political Engagement found that 24 per cent of 18- to 24-year-old say they are ‘certain to vote' at a general election, compared to 57 per cent of over-25s. This double in difference initially reflects that the younger generation just aren't interested or bothered about the democracy that surrounds them. However this is not true, four out of five (83 per cent) think it is "essential" or "important" to vote in order to be a good citizen clearly hinting that the new generation is not only overly keen about having a say and involvement in their community but also that they are more awake than ever and are not happy with the choices that are on offer. they are willing to be a part of the community but are not wanting to support the unrepresentative parties of today.

The younger generation are thinking for themselves rather than following the old fashion trend of following in your parents foot steps. 54% of adults expressed an interest in politics yet this figure is lower than than their voting turnout showing that some adults just vote for the sake of it rather than thinking for themselves. Perhaps it is time for the grown-ups to take a leaf out of the younger generations book and begin thinking for themselves.

Chief executive of the Hansard Society, Fiona Booth had this to say: "The overall findings of this year's Audit should cause all of us to reflect on how much more there is still to do to increase public knowledge of and interest in how we are governed - particularly among the younger generation."

Record Turnout on Tyneside!!

noreply@blogger.com (MatthewTCC) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:43:00 +0000

The 1st ever Young Mayor election in North Tyneside saw a turnout of 59%. Voting took place yesterday with the result announced today at a ceremony led by adult Mayor John Harrison. The winner was Olamide John Akinropo with over 1,000 votes. This turnout smashes the figure for equivalent adult elections and underlines that young people are NOT apathetic about politics!! More to follow...

Zu Blog - Spitting Sparks

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I am fortunate to be in a line of work that crosses paths with many talented, opinionated young people. Even so I was taken aback by a discussion with young people from the young mayor network.
The philosophical atmosphere was set by Matt and Alex washing up while the ladies built the fire. We all settled round mesmerized by the glowing amber, no doubt contemplating about the calories piled on during dinner. It only took one loud thought from the sophisticated Emmanuel Adepoju about his perspective on himself and ambitions to get the young peoples views pouring. I spent most of my time lost in awe at their depth and as always came to the conclusion that this passion and talent need to be captured.
We concluded with Andorid Alex's brain teasing game. By the end both young people and officers were mentally and physically tired. making the nights sleeping that little bit sweeter. What intrigues me most is the way each and every young person woke up with the same level of enthusiasm they departed with. Unique.

Zuhayb Ahmed

Young Mayor Network Coordinator

[S]uperior [S]amuel [S]tatement

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:26:00 +0000

Welcome,
I believe that all borough's need to unite and have power in numbers. we reflect on the fact that change is our thing and together we can do anything. young mayor network are educating our youth to be leaders of tomorrow. we want to make a difference to resolve old problems and create new solutions.

Samuel Adepoju
Lambeth Youth Councilor

Jammin With Jacob

noreply@blogger.com (Young Mayor Network) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:18:00 +0000

Wassup Everyone,

My Name is Jacob Sakil and I am writing to trigger the beginning of endless blogging on what young people want to change. one of the problems that i absolutely hate is how the media portrays us as 'young people that get up to no good', and the reality is we do more right than we do wrong, so my question is what can we do to change this stereotype? love to hear people replies answers or even more question and remember this blogging is only the beginning of something big 'old problems, New solutions'

Jacob Sakil

Chair, Young Advisor of Lewisham