Three young people have been elected to provide a national voice for the youth of North Yorkshire.
The new Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs) were elected by the North Yorkshire Youth Voice Executive from applicants who put themselves forward for this important role.
The three MYPs are Rebecca Morgan, Torin Zeiboll and Molly Richardson.
Rebecca, 14, from Whitby, represents the east of the county, covering Scarborough borough and Ryedale; Torin, 17, lives near Skipton and represents the west, covering Craven and Harrogate borough; and Molly, 15, from Tadcaster, represents the central area, covering Hambleton, Richmondshire and Selby district.
During their two-year term of office, the MYPs will meet MPs and local councillors, organise events, run campaigns, make speeches, hold debates and ensure the views of young people are listened to by decision makers. The most important aspect of any MYPs job is to make sure they represent the views of young people in their constituency. The office is open to anyone aged between 11 and 18.
Speaking about her election, Molly said:
I am absolutely thrilled to be given such an incredible opportunity and want to truly represent the real voice of today’s youth and my own generation. I can’t wait to put all the hard work in to get an end result that benefits everybody.
Rebecca added:
I am honoured that I have been elected as an MYP to represent the youth of the constituency and to represent each individual within it. I will not let the youth of this constituency be overlooked as I will continue to campaign for our futures with the knowledge that we can all truly make a difference to the world we live in and leave behind for future generations.
MYPs are politically neutral. They will help to set the agenda for the annual Make Your Mark vote, which will begin in August with the final votes being cast in October. In 2018, more than 1.1 million young people took part in the national vote.
Speaking about his election, Torin said: “I am extremely grateful for being elected as the local MYP. I hope to share the voice of all young people in my area and campaign for necessary change within our community. It really means a lot to be put in a position that can create significant and noticeable change.”
The Youth Voice Executive, which was formed by the County Council, brings together representatives of young people’s groups from across the county. They regularly meet executive members and senior County Council officers as well as leaders from district councils, the police, health and local companies.
County Councillor Janet Sanderson, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said:
It’s so important that our county’s young people have a voice, both locally and nationally. These three young people will be able to take the issues that matter to the youth of North Yorkshire to leaders within the county and at the highest levels of government.
As an authority, we’re committed to giving our county’s young people the best possible start in life. Giving them a voice and listening to their opinions through the Youth Voice Executive and the MYPs is a vital aspect of that.