What is a Young Mayor?
The Young Mayor is THE voice for young people in Lewisham Borough. They have the ability to influence key decision makers from the Council, NHS and the Police as well as making Lewisham a better place for young people to live in. All you need is determination, commitment and fresh ideas. If this sounds like your kind of thing then start thinking about standing for Young Mayor in 2011...
And if you're not convinced yet then read on...
It's not as scary as it sounds. First of all the Young Mayor has a budget of £30,000 to make their ideas happen. As well as the Young Mayor Team the Young Mayor also works closely with an experienced team of Young Advisors made up of a wide range of young people from across the borough. And if that's not enough people to back you up you also get to work closely with the Young Citizens' Panel which has over 800 members.
Former Young Mayors Miguel Gutierrez Astudillo and Justin Cole launch the 2009 Young Mayor Elections along with some Young Advisors
Isn't this just a tokenistic position though?
Not at all. The Young Mayor has real power in Lewisham. Over the past seven years Young Mayors have worked alongside the Borough Commander for the Police, the NHS and Primary Care Trust, leading managers within the Council as well as the Mayor, Councillors and local MPs.
Former Young Mayor Wilf Petherbridge chairs a Cabinet Meeting with the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown
And the influence doesn't just stop in Lewisham. The Young Mayor works with other young representatives in the Young Mayor Network as well as being regularly invited to the main political party conferences and various events across the UK. The Young Mayor also has strong links across Europe with youth groups in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Sweden.
Former Young Mayor Jacob Sakil meets Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
But what happens if I don't win?
If you don't become the next Young Mayor there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference in Lewisham and beyond. Whoever comes in second place becomes Deputy Young Mayor of Lewisham and has an equal position of power and responsibility. Finishing in third or fourth allows you to represent Lewisham in the UK Youth Parliament and those who finish lower are invited to join the Young Advisors and Young Citizens' Panel.
Former Deputy Young Mayor Dami Benbow, former Young Mayor Jacob Sakil and Young Advisor Nathan Edoo meet Sir Steve Bullock and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
What can being involved do for me?
In the last six years the Young Mayor project has helped many young people fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions. Involvement in the Young Mayor project and the YCP looks great on CVs and UCAS forms and can make a real difference when applying for universities or jobs. With the job market at its most competitive in years and record numbers of young people applying for university extra experience can make a real difference.
So what are you waiting for? Stand to be the next Young Mayor of Lewisham and change your life and your borough for the better. Download a candidate pack here: http://www.b-involved.org.uk/young-mayor/become-the-next-young-mayor.html