The race is on to find Mansfield’s next Youth Mayor, as two candidates begin their campaign to win the election on Thursday, 9th October.

Honor Bennett (pictured) from All Saints’ Catholic Academy and Danielle Bridges from Samworth Church Academy have laid out their manifestos in the hope of attracting votes from the young people of Mansfield.

If elected, Honor would like to:

•Create more sporting and leadership opportunities for schools, so all young people have a chance to have experience of responsibility, teamwork and success.
•Work with local employers to improve the variety and knowledge of work experience placements, which help young people to prepare for future jobs and employment.
•Improve communication for young people so they can get their views across more easily by raising the profile of the youth voice and incorporating social media.
•Develop a scheme specifically in secondary schools to raise awareness of drugs, body image and associated bullying.

Honor says: “In the words of the Youth Mayor of Lewisham – ‘We have the Youth Mayor to prove the media wrong. To prove that there are young people doing good things for their community.’ This is exactly why I am standing for Youth Mayor. I believe young people have a voice that needs to be heard and the profile of the good that young people do in Mansfield needs to be raised.”

If elected, Danielle would like to:

•Increase lighting in parks and public footpaths that are commonly used by young people to create a safer environment.
•Campaign for better sex education in schools so that young people have a better understanding of sexual health.
•Strengthen the connection between the older and younger generations in Mansfield to end the negative image some parts of society have of young people.
•Give gifted young people more opportunities to showcase their talents.
•Promote sporting activities to encourage teenagers to try new sports and to get active.
•Raise awareness of the different clubs which are available for young people in Mansfield in order for teenagers to discover unknown talents and reduce the amount of young people on the street.

Danielle says: “I would like to be Youth Mayor because I strongly believe that the young people of Mansfield should be able to live in a community where their ideas and concerns have been listened to and used to improve Mansfield as a pleasant place for young people to grow up in. The majority of adults say that your teenage years are the best years of your life and I want to help as much as I can to make sure young people get the most out of Mansfield during the years of their youth.”

Once elected, the Youth Mayor will represent young people and take their views to the Mayor, members and officers of thecCouncil, partnership organisations and the community. The winning candidate will take over from last year’s Youth Mayor Tanna Nita.

Other schools and colleges participating in the election are: The Brunts Academy, The Manor Academy, Queen Elizabeth’s Academy, Vision West Nottinghamshire College and the E2E Group at My Place.

Executive Mayor Tony Egginton said: “We believe in giving young people a voice within the Council, so I am delighted that we are now entering into our seventh year of these elections. The Youth Mayor will not only ensure that the views of young people are represented, but she also will be an important ambassador for our District.

“The elections will also give young people the opportunity to vote and learn more about the democratic process in preparation for when they are eighteen.”