A double search is underway in North Tyneside to find the next Young Mayor and Member of UK Youth Parliament.
Nominations open next week for those aged between 11 and 18 to put themselves forward for one of the important positions.
Holding office for a year, the Young Mayor will act as a figurehead for youngsters in the borough, giving them a voice and helping to influence decisions made by North Tyneside Council’s Elected Mayor, Cabinet and Council.
The Member of UK Youth Parliament will also be in position for a year and their role is to represent young people from the borough, taking forward their views and debating on their behalf locally, regionally and nationally.
Speaking about the two roles, North Tyneside Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn said: “Our young people are incredibly talented and are great ambassadors for our borough.
“It is very important to me that they have their voices heard at the highest level and are integral to decision making in North Tyneside
“Our previous Young Mayors and Members of Youth Parliament have done incredible work and I always enjoy hearing about their latest projects and their thoughts and plans on how the borough can be further improved for the benefit of children and young people.
“These are very exciting opportunities and I’d encourage all young people to find out more.”
The successful candidates hold the posts for 12 months, from February 20. Most of their duties are arranged outside of the school day. They are also supported to make certain they honour all school commitments.
Nominations open on December 1 and close on January 6. Preliminary online voting then opens from January 9 until January 30, to whittle down the final top four candidates. The preliminary voting process was introduced in 2010, due to extremely high levels of interest in the Young Mayor position.
Final voting for the coveted position takes place in schools and selected council buildings between February 13 and 15.
Young people aged between 11 and 18 who live, work or attend school or college in North Tyneside, are eligible to stand for one of the positions in the election, and take part in the vote.
Nomination packs will be available from next week at www.northtyneside.gov.uk, by emailing participation@northtyneside.gov.uk or by calling (0191) 643 8215.
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