Public transport and the environment are among the issues being discussed as the race to represent young people across North Tyneside is narrowed down to its final four candidates.
Young people in North Tyneside are set to go to the polls once again to vote on who they believe should be the next Young Mayor.
In office for one year, the successful candidate will act as a figurehead for young people in the borough, giving them a voice and influencing decisions made by North Tyneside Council's Elected Mayor, cabinet and council.
Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn, CBE said: “As the council, it is important to us that everyone in North Tyneside has their say in our decisions.
“Our current Young Mayor, Amelie, does a fantastic job in gathering the views of North Tyneside’s young people and I always look forward to hearing her projects and ideas to improve the borough for our young people.
“This is a great opportunity for young people to really get involved with politics and I’d like to wish all of our candidates the best of luck.”
Following a round of online votes where 2,306 votes were cast, the top four candidates have been announced:
Poppy Chaplin, 11 years old from Wellfield Middle School.
Poppy’s pledge is: “I would like to develop a series of inclusive events which promote tolerance, including sporting and creative arts activities ending in a showcase produced by young people who are pupils of both mainstream and special needs schools. No one should be left behind.”
Max Godfrey, 13 years old from St Thomas More RC Academy.
Max’s pledge is: “I would like to work on raising awareness about the environment amongst young people particularly global warming and single use plastics.”
Cady Herdman, 13 years old from Marden High School.
Cady’s pledge is: “Work towards the process of reducing the cost of public transport for under 16s and help promote the use of Pop Cards to reduce the cost for the frequent users.”
Suzie McKenzie, 14 years old from St Thomas More RC Academy.
Suzie’s pledge is: “Create better support in schools for mental health issues and work on improving and promoting mental health facilities.”
Young people aged between 11 and 18 who live, work or attend school or college in North Tyneside, are eligible to take part in the vote.
The successful candidates hold the posts for 12 months. Most of their duties are arranged outside of the school day. They are also supported to make certain they honour all school commitments.
Final voting for the coveted position takes place in schools and selected council buildings between March 9 and March 11, with the announcement taking place the evening of March 13.
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