A last call is being made for those interested in being Plympton’s next Youth Ambassador to get their applications in ahead of this year’s deadline of 10pm on March 31 2022.
The role represents an ideal opportunity to be the voice of Plympton’s youth within the community and gives scope for bringing about change and making a difference. The role is likely to bring the successful candidate into contact with Plympton’s councillors, business leaders and other local decision makers.
The Youth Ambassador will often accompany the Stannator on engagements as well as forging their own activities with appropriate guidance and supervision. They will also represent the youth voice of the area at Plympton Community Council meetings as well as feeding back to their peers.
Isaac Hudson, who was 14 when he applied, became the first person to hold the role and he attended many civic events and other public functions. In November 2017 he took part in the Remembrance Day march in Plympton where he proudly wore his grandfather’s service medals and among other things he handed out prizes to winners in the Rotary Club of Plympton’s Youth Speaks event and was driven in an Aston Martin motor car to his final engagement at the Lamb Feast in June 2018.
Isaac was succeeded by then sixth-former Molly Disney who adopted mental health issues and reduction in single use plastics as themes for her year in office. While in the Youth Ambassador role Molly engaged with the Rees Centre Wellbeing Hub to promote the advancement of mental health issues as an offering at the Hub when it opened and achieved changes in the canteen at her school where single use plastics were ultimately done away with. Molly also got to handle one of the ceremonial Plympton maces, take a ride in an engine at the Plym Valley Railway and attend the historic Fishing Feast at Burrator Reservoir in the course of her time as Youth Ambassador.
Plympton’s third Youth Ambassador was Charlotte Bryant, then 14, who chose to raise awareness of dementia and get young people interacting more with the aged residents in the area. As a result of that she was involved in visiting care homes. Charlotte was also officially involved in the re-opening ceremony for the cafe in the Co-op at Ridgeway as well as the formal opening of the Plympton Show that year and reading one of the lessons at the St Mary’s Church community carol service.
Speaking at the end of her year in office Molly Disney said:
“Being Youth Ambassador has shown me it’s so easy to make a difference. This role has enabled me to flourish as a Youth Ambassador and has taught me how to balance my academic life with the community side of life. It has prepared me for the future and I would recommend this opportunity to any young person.”
This year’s candidates will need to be currently aged between fourteen and seventeen, live in Plympton, be available to attend a selection interview on the evening of April 8 and free to attend an investiture ceremony on the evening of April 23.
To obtain an application form and role specification e-mail plymptoncommunitycouncil@gmail.com or telephone Pauline Kadoche on 07784 916648.
(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)
