Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Safer Merthyr Tydfil is delighted to announce the appointment of the first ever Youth Mayor for Merthyr Tydfil.
Members of the Merthyr Tydfil Youth Forum and other young people assembled at the Council Chambers on Wednesday, November 25 2009 to hear the seven exceptional candidates who ran for election put forward their case to be elected. An election process was then undertaken on Friday, November 27, 2009 at the Civic Centre, the outcome of which was to appoint sixteen-year-old Amy Williams, a student at Ysgol Rhydywaun, as Youth Mayor and twelve-year-old Jamie Scrivens, a student of Pen y dre High School, as Deputy Youth Mayor.
It is anticipated that a formal inauguration will be held in the Council Chamber at a special session of the Full Council in January 2010. Subsequently, it is envisaged that the Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor will shadow the Mayor and Deputy Mayor on special occasions in performing their civic duties.
The Children and Young People’s Partnership is committed to improving the participation of young people in the decision making process. This is in line with the Welsh Assembly Government’s drive to ensure that children and young people ‘have a voice and have a choice’ and mirrors one of the priority outcome areas of the County Borough’s statutory Children and Young People’s Plan.
The Children and Young People’s Partnership is committed to extending the participation agenda across the County Borough, working with key-colleagues such as Safer Merthyr Tydfil which has been commissioned on behalf of the Children and Young People’s Partnership to facilitate this process.
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is delighted that the hard work that was started some years ago to elect a Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor has now come to fruition. Merthyr Tydfil now joins the very few local authorities in Wales that recognise these important roles and the input that young people can make to the democratic process.
Councillor Richard Thomas, Portfolio Member for Integrated Children’s Service commented: “As a council we are delighted to continue to support the participation agenda with children and young people.
“We have done all that we can to ensure that children and young people are consulted and are allowed to contribute to developing services that are aimed at them.
“This new appointment of a Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor is another step in that partnership and I am looking forward to working with Amy and Jamie over the coming months. ”
For further information, contact The Partnership Planning Team on (01685) 724689, alternatively e-mail at: [email protected]
