UK Youth Parliament Members for Wigan and Leigh

UK Youth Parliament Members for Wigan and Leigh

Adila, Sky, Daniel, Lucy and Sam

Young people in Wigan and Leigh have elected Lucy Coleman, 15, and Adila Badri, 16, as their new members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYP’s).

Over 13,000 11-17-year olds voted in the local youth elections.

Lucy and Adila will now represent the borough at regional and national meetings of the Youth Parliament, including their annual national sitting at the House of Commons in November.

Adila is passionate about addressing young people’s worries about body image and Lucy hopes to make the borough more environmentally friendly.

Adila, from Wigan, said; “When I heard that I’d won I felt like I’d been hit by a bolt of electricity!

“I’m so excited as I can finally do what I’ve always wanted to do; destroy the myths around body image and help give young people the confidence to be themselves.

“Since winning I’ve noticed that I’ve already become more confident.

“I’m looking forward to making a difference and meeting lots of new people over the next two years.”

Lucy, from Abram, adds; “It’s such a prestigious title to have, so I do feel like it’s a massive responsibility and I want to make sure I meet lots of young people so I can represent the borough well.

“My aim is to work with the council and other organisations to create a cleaner, greener Wigan Borough.”

Thirteen young people stood for election.

Daniel Short, 16, from Tyldesley, and Sam Boffey, 14, from Standish, were elected as Deputy Members and Sky Corcoran, 14, from Leigh, was chosen as the group’s Campaigns Co-ordinator. The young people will be supported by Wigan and Leigh Youth Cabinet.

Wigan Council recently announced that they would commit an additional £10K to support the work of the youth cabinet this year.

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Jenny Bullen, said; “I want to thank all of the young people who put themselves forward for election and congratulate Lucy and Adila on their success.

“The UK Youth Parliament is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get involved in as it gives them the chance to have their say at a regional and national level.”

Councillor Susan Gambles is Lead Member for Youth Opportunities.

She adds; “Standing for election isn’t an easy thing to do.

“I’m so proud of the young people who stood as candidates as well as the 13,000 young people who took the time to vote for their preferred candidate.

“I know that Adila and Lucy will be exceptional MYP’s and I’m very excited about continuing to work with them in making a positive difference for young people across the Borough.

“Our young people’s views, ideas, suggestions and concerns are very important to us.

“With the help of our exceptional youth workers, we have a number of ways that we work with young people, to listen, to work together and to make a difference.”

If you’re aged 11-17 and would like to find out more about the ways you can get involved, email Wigan Council’s Targeted Youth Support Services on tyssweb@wigan.gov.uk.