TEENAGERS have been on the road’ for East London’s Local Democracy’ week. Events staged by Tower Hamlets Council were aimed at getting its youth to be more involved in public affairs
TEENAGERS have been on the road’ for East London’s Local Democracy’ week.
Events staged by Tower Hamlets Council were aimed at getting its youth to be more involved in public affairs and making a difference to their community.
Tower Hamlets has its own Young Mayor’ elected each year. Uma Akther and her three deputies, Jahangir Alom, Alex Kuye and Jamil Trofder, are soon coming to the end of their 12-month stint, all directly elected by up to 4,000 teenagers living or going to school in the East End.
They took a roadshow’ around the East End to talk to youngsters whose voices are not often heard, and this year hosting the first-ever Schools Council conference.
“We were out on the roadshow until 8pm each evening,” said young mayor’ Uma. “But it was worth it.
“We’ve raised our profile and have helped make some important decisions on council spending as well.”
The week’s events helped the Young Mayor address priorities such as better school council representation and reducing the number of school-leavers falling outside further education, training or not finding jobs.
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