Young people in Runcorn and Widnes will get the chance to have their say on the issues that affect them on 31 January, when voting takes place to elect a new member of the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP).

The candidates line up at Runcorn Town Hall.

Youth gets the vote Halton Borough Council’s Youth Service has been working hard to get local youngsters involved in the elections. The 11 candidates launched their manifestos at Runcorn Town Hall on Monday 15 January in a ceremony attended by Council Leader Cllr Tony McDermott; the Mayor & Mayoress, Cllr and Mrs John Swain; Chief Executive, David Parr, Cllr Marie Wright; Cllr Tom McInerney; Cllr Mark Dennett and Dave Williams, Head of Youth Service,

UKYP aims to give the young people of the UK between the ages of 11 and 18 a voice that will be listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies with an interest in the views and needs of young people.

Councillor Marie Wright, Halton Borough Council's Executive Board Member for the Community, said: “It is our ultimate aim to get young people more involved in the decision making process, making policy with them rather than at them.

“Young people themselves may have different needs to older people and it is important their views are represented. Through the Halton Youth Bank they can actually have power over what projects are funded.

“Some youngsters may not know how a council works and this kind of process introduces them to politics and the democratic process.

“It also helps raise the profile of Halton nationally, as the new members will meet with colleagues from all over the country.”

Each Local Education Authority (LEA) represents a UKYP constituency, and 87 per cent of the LEAs across England are currently represented on the UKYP (around 90 per cent of young people in England).

Once elected, MYPs work to establish what are the local, regional and national issues that matter to young people, and then tackle them through targeted campaigns.

For more information visit the dedicated UKYP website: www.haltonyouthvoice.co.uk

HALTON:

The borough of Halton in Cheshire is made up of two towns - Runcorn and Widnes - situated between Manchester and Liverpool and linked by the River Mersey. The two towns are joined by the well-known SilverJubileeBridge – the only river crossing between the Mersey tunnels in Liverpool and Warrington. However, the Council is the lead agency in the Mersey Crossing Group, which is currently lobbying for a new Mersey Crossing. Halton Borough Council has been awarded Beacon status for Improving Urban Green Spaces, Better Local Public Transport and Planning for Business. The Council has been awarded an ‘excellent’ rating in a recent CPA inspection and won a Local Government Chronicle Award for its innovative Benefits Express – a mobile benefits service.

There are 51,350 households in the borough and a population of just over 118,000.

Comments from the young people who attended the Widnes residential

‘I have gained confidence and made lots of new friends’

‘I feel confident in myself around people. I now have more new friends and know my friends better’

‘Absolutely Brilliant’ ‘It was good, rooms and staff are good’

 ‘Great Youth Workers, great sessions’

 ‘I played new games and met new people and I have learnt peoples names’

 ‘I’ve had such a fun time! I love my room. I Love going for walks and I like our working room’

For more info contact 0151 422 5503, text Sally on 07875344573, or email haltonukyp@hotmail.co.uk