Plymouth recorded one of the highest turnouts nationally in this year’s #MakeYourMark campaign and in November the UK’s Youth Parliament has been debating the top five issues voted on by teenagers nationwide.
Plymouth was ranked the 15th highest turnout area in the country with 54.3% of eligible teenagers taking part in a national ballot to determine issues of importance to be debated by the Youth Parliament.
Plympton’s Youth Ambassador Molly Disney is a keen supporter of the Youth Parliament.
“The Youth Parliament is a great opportunity for young people to inaugurate change across the country as well as being involved with issues that are prominent throughout society and helping to expose their relevance within our lives,” said the teenager who is part of the junior leadership team at Hele’s School.
Molly added: “Making your mark and being a part of the Youth Parliament can promote positive perceptions of young people whilst giving us the opportunity to speak our minds.”
In the South West, young voters put mental health at the top of the list of issues they wished to have discussed in the UK Youth Parliament with ending knife crime being the next most important issue for them.
“In order for young people to progress, stability and encouragement from older generations is needed to ensure our society can be better in years to come.”
Mental health is a subject close to Molly’s heart.
“Issues such as mental health continue to be ignored and unspoken about within school and the workplace,” she said.
“This is something which is already beginning to be recognised and an event exploring wellbeing in young people is taking place at the Clay Factory in Ivybridge on November 22 and 23. It’s called ‘Resilient Young Minds – A Revolutionary Approach to Wellbeing.”
This one and half day conference will include a variety of speakers, including some students from Ivybridge Community College.
Equal pay for equal work are also issues Molly Disney feels strongly about and she is not alone as these were the third and fourth most important items according to the South West’s youth electorate in #MakeYourMark.
“The issue of homelessness is a factor that prevents young people from achieving their full potential,” explained Molly, adding: “Bringing light upon this issue and debating why it is so important is one of the reasons why I think the Youth Parliament is a great opportunity for those who want to create a better society.”
She continued:
“Another factor as to why I believe the Youth Parliament is a great platform for change is the issue of unequal pay of adults and young people in equal positions of employment.
“In order for young people to progress, stability and encouragement from older generations is needed to ensure our society can be better in years to come. This is why participating in the Youth Parliament will allow for the views and opinions of young people to be heard.”
(Story courtesy www.Facebook.com/PlymptonYouthMatters)
