Daisy Newbold-Harrop I am standing as a candidate for the Bristol Youth Select Committee because… As an aspiring politician, I believe I can bring an inspired and motivated voice to the Council. It is my ambition to help, (and inspire others to help), to bring our community together and, in the long term, to heighten the quality of life of men, women and children all around the world. So what better place to start than with a community I am already a part of and am familiar with? I believe that the key to making a difference in this world is education; that people must understand why we should try our best to enhance the society we live in, and methods by which they can do this. As young people, we should be learning these reasons and methods. We are the most susceptible age group to control from higher authorities. They tell us what we should be learning, what we need to know. But, as young people, we must also have our chance to influence, as well as be influenced. As children of the modern age, we have experienced things that adults have never been through, and that gives us, as young people, invaluable views and opinions that should be represented within our community. We must stand up for our own opinions, let the world know that we care about what happens to us, and that we have a voice too. I believe that this is something I would be able to effectively put across as a Council representative. I have experienced the view points of young people from a diverse range of backgrounds – those from a more socially and financially fortunate position, and those of a less fortunate one. This has allowed me to establish what I believe are the main issues facing the Bristol youth as a whole today, and these are the things that I believe must be tackled as soon as possible, if we wish to change them. I believe that, alongside my fellow council members, I would contribute greatly to the cause for change in our community, putting forward a determined and informed argument in order to make the most of the position at hand http://www.goplacesdothings.org.uk/pages/ get-involved Daisy Newbold-Harrop If I was elected I would… ….focus, by means of education, on raising awareness of the current issues facing Bristol’s youth. In order to make a significant positive impact on the youth of Bristol, we must start educating young people as to the prominent issues facing them, from a young age. A few of the issues that I would bring up as a priority are as follows; • The reception of mental health issues within the youth community – a greater awareness needs to be raised as to what constitutes a mental health issue, and how we can deal with our own mental health issues, as well as those around us who suffer from them. Easier access needs to be made for young people suffering from a mental health issue to obtain help and advice. • Attitudes to Education campaign – education should not be seen as a chore, or as a obstacle in the way of being able to pursue what you wish to in life. The system must be changed so that young people enjoy their education, and therefore get the most out of their opportunities. More effort must be made on the part of the education system to engage students in their academic and extra-curricular activities. • Prepare for Life campaign – as well as a good academic education, students in Bristol should be being prepared by their schools for life beyond the classroom. Topics such as ‘personal health and well-being’, ‘finance’, ‘further education and career options’, and ‘how to function well in our society’ should be taught in greater depth, in order to ensure that the adults of tomorrow are able to make the most of their opportunities in the future, and contribute to society. http://www.goplacesdothings.org.uk/pages/ get-involved Daisy Newbold-Harrop I will get the views of other young people by … • Encouraged participation – because every young person is affected by the choices made by the Council, every young person should have a say in what these choices are. The decision should not be mutually exclusive to those select few who are voted into council – in order to gain the most accurate representation of the views of the Bristol youth, we should directly involve as many people as we can in the decision making process. This means that we should approach as many people as we can and gain their views on certain specified subjects. This can be done by sending out information leaflets to schools, colleges, and youth centres around Bristol, giving the young people choices as to what they would like to see improved in our community, via ballot paper, which is then transferred via their school, college or youth centre to the Council for discussion. • Social Media – Social media is the largest, but most under-used interface, to gain the views of young people in today’s society. A huge proportion of the youth population of Bristol partake in Social media, and many feel as though it gives them the confidence to speak out about issues relevant to them, which they may not have spoken out about in person. Social media is the tool of the modern age, which helps to bind a community together in ways that were not accessible to us before. We should make the most of this opportunity, and use social media as a main form of connection and communication with the youth community, via sites such as Facebook and Twitter. http://www.goplacesdothings.org.uk/pages/ get-involved