The UK Youth Parliament (www.ukyouthparliament.com) is an organisation that enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better. It is run by young people, for young people, with more than 600 elected members and deputy members, who work together to bring about positive change nationally as well as in their local communities. Once elected, Youth Parliament members and their deputies organise events and projects, run campaigns, and influence policy-makers on issues that matter most to young people. They attend regular regional groups and meet together once a year at the UKYP annual sitting.

It is important that every young person who lives in North East Lincolnshire has the opportunity to be the Member of the UK Youth Parliament.

After the Member of Youth Parliament has completed their term of office, the council will encourage and support them to move into other roles, which include: mentoring schemes; young advisor roles to support a future Member of Youth Parliament; youth leadership programmes; and opportunities to remain involved in developments in the North East Lincolnshire Children and Young People’s Plan.

Roles and responsibilities

• Represent the interests of North East Lincolnshire young people at the UK Youth Parliament
• Represent all North East Lincolnshire young people and their interests regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, class or sexuality
• To be an active member of the Council for Young People
• Consult closely with the Council for Young People and other young people to build a greater understanding of their needs
• Promote the interests of young people at national and regional levels
• Attend events of interest and importance to young people at local, regional and national levels
• Campaign for issues and services at all levels that are of importance to young people
• The Deputy Member of the UK Youth Parliament will accompany the Member to all events and will attend in the absence of the Member
• Meet with the Mayor for North East Lincolnshire, council officers, councillors, other organisations in the voluntary sector or business and public bodies and local young people
• Offer advice and represent the views of young people to policy makers
• Be visible at a small number of public events. This involves meeting people and giving speeches. It is intended that formal engagements will be restricted to no more than one per week
• Attend regional meetings (six per year) of the UK Youth Parliament and other related meetings as is necessary
• Attend the UKYP annual sitting (usually a long weekend in July)
• Read plans and organise responses on behalf of young people. This will involve working with the Council for Young People and interested young people and reflecting their views in the response
• Be assisted and advised by a senior youth worker, who will set up meetings, draft speeches, help compose letters and responses and organise engagements.
• The Deputy Member will share all of these responsibilities

Election process and timetable

The Member of the UK Youth Parliament has a deputy, and young people will vote for and elect pairs of candidates, rather than individuals. A candidate must have a ‘running mate’ to form a ‘dream team’. The Member of the UK Youth Parliament and their deputy will hold their positions for a two-year term.

Nominations close at 5pm on Tuesday April 12. A selection group of young people will meet to study the nominations and select candidates to stand in the elections. This process will take place over two days and all nominees will be informed on Thursday April 14. The names of successful candidates will be formally announced on Friday April 15 and placed on this website.

The campaigning period runs from Saturday April 16 to Sunday May 15. This is when you will be communicating your vision, ideas and issues to the young people of North East Lincolnshire to try to convince them that you are the best candidates and will best represent them.

Voting takes place from Monday May 16 to Saturday May 28, in local academies, colleges, schools, training agencies and other locations around the borough. Voting cards will have been distributed to young people during the preceding week (May 9 to 15). This is the exciting final stage of the election process, with young people completing ballot papers just like a national or local election.

Votes will be counted on Tuesday May 31, with the results formally announced on Wednesday June 1. There will be limited space at the count, so if you want to attend, you must have been involved in the election process as a nominee or candidate.

The council wants to involve as many young people from North East Lincolnshire as possible. There are a number of ways in which you can involve yourself, including taking part in the elections as a nominee, a candidate, a voter and finally engaging with the Member of the UK Youth Parliament, once they are in office.

It is important for any democratic process to ensure that everyone involved as a nominee or candidate is well supported, so the Senior Youth Worker running the elections will be available to give participants support throughout the process. This does not prevent you from gathering other supportive people around you. It is important that you fully comprehend the undertaking that you are making and are helped to fulfill it.

Because of this, the eligibility criteria are not negotiable – nominees must fulfil all of them in order to become a candidate.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be aged 12 to 18 on the final day of polling, on Saturday May 28, 2011
• Be able to complete the two-year term of duty (to May 2013)
• Complete, sign and return the monimation form before the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday April 12, 2011

Contact us

If you would like to find out more, contact John Cook, on (01472) 324124, or email youth.elections@nelincs.gov.uk.

You can also write to:

Youth Elections
Democratic Services
Municipal Offices
Town Hall Square
Grimsby DN31 1HU