Nahimul Islam with mayor Lutfur Rahman
Candidates for next year’s Tower Hamlets Young Mayor have just three weeks to be nominated for the post. Nominations close on July 13th and the elections take place next January.
Anyone aged between 14 and 17, living in the borough of Tower Hamlets can apply to be Young Mayor – a role which allows you to represent the interests of young people in the borough.
Last year a “remarkable” 52 per cent of 11-18 year olds in the borough voted in the elections for Young Mayor – double the turnout of the adult mayor elections in 2010, according to David Evans, director of the scheme.
Phil Long, youth involvement manager for Tower Hamlets added: “Young people – and the Young Mayor – really have to want to make a change in their community.’’
The Young Mayor is there to represent the views of young people in the borough, attend meetings and events and to tell politicians what should be happening for young people.
Young mayors are: “really important in channeling and strengthening the thoughts and opinions of young people,” added Long.
The current young mayor of Tower Hamlets, 16-year-old Nahimul Islam from Wapping, who won on the record breaking turnout, told the Tower Hamlets Youth Website AMP that: “Working with XLP, a charity that works with young people in inner London, that is the best thing I’ve done since becoming Young Mayor”.
Lewisham was the first London borough to be part of the Young Mayor Network in 2004, one of 10 other young mayor schemes across England. Their current representative is Kieran Lang.
For a nomination form and more information visit www.amp.uk.net/youngmayor
By Soraya Ali and Emily Reed
