About me
I am one of three Members of Youth Parliament for the Sheffield constituency, in which I represent around 50,000 young people between the ages of 11 and 18 at a National level. I am also one of two Directors for Young People for Connexions South Yorkshire, in which I represent a countless number of young people between 13 and 19 from Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley at a regional level. I have been a member of youth parliament since November 2003, in which the young people of Sheffield elected me to represent them, and re-elected in November 2004. I committed much of my time during my first year, in which I sought upon change to decision making in Sheffield, with inclusion of young people in decision-making structures at the heart of my campaign, as well the benefits of voice and influence. I have had one to one involvement with people at the highest level, one of which was shadowing David Blunkett MP at the home office, and meeting the former Secretary of State for Health, Dr John Reid MP, I have met all bar one of Sheffield’s MP’s to put forward the views of Sheffield’s young people, 2 weeks after my term of office started, I went to Brussels on an invite from Nick Clegg MEP, to tour the European Parliament’s base to find out about European politics,
I have attended local and national events, most recently the Department of Health’s conference on the Choosing Health: Making Choices Easier white paper, in which the Secretary of State for Health John Reid MP was in attendance, to give the official young person’s perspective on the paper, after being approached by the department of health themselves, I attended a national 4 – day conference to write the UKYP Manifesto 2005, visited Parliament, and met with MP’s and Ministers, I have promoted the benefits of voice, influence, and participation of young people, and regularly train people on young people’s participation, yourselves included, I have done various Radio interviews around youth democracy, and environment issues, and others, I have regional and national links, whom I regularly contact to ideas and projects, and after months of campaigning, I have recently received backing for my plan to introduce city-wide governance for young people, through the introduction of a city-wide youth council. Most recently, I have written the main response to the articles that painted young NEETS as “People with no ambition,” and “The new über underclass,” amongst other incredibly insulting names. All the above work has been totally voluntary, and I have put further education on hold to pursue it further.
I am one of three Members of Youth Parliament for the Sheffield constituency, in which I represent around 50,000 young people between the ages of 11 and 18 at a National level. I am also one of two Directors for Young People for Connexions South...
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