Islington elects new Young Mayor, Deputy Young Mayor and Member for London Youth Assembly

Tyra Bannerman-Hull has been named the new Young Mayor of Islington and Ameera Abdi will be her deputy, while Eva-Marie Pornaris is the new London Youth Assembly Member for Islington. They were elected by their fellow youth councillors on Monday 12 February and will hold office for a year. Tyra and Ameera will be responsible for representing Islington's Youth Council at civic events and award ceremonies.

Tyra said: “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity. I am looking forward to representing Islington Young People at civic events. My inspiration and hero is my mum."

Ameera said: "I am so happy to be able to represent the youth council, now in my new role as Deputy Young Mayor. I know it’s a serious role, but I hope to have fun, too. My inspiration and heroes are my friend Sabriya and my family.”

Eva-Marie said: "I feel amazing and excited to be elected the London Youth Assembly Member for Islington and voice the concerns of the borough’s young people. I am looking forward to improving young people’s health with fellow Youth Assembly Members. My inspiration and hero is Michelle Obama."

Cllr Michelline Safi-Ngongo, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: "Congratulations to Tyra, Ameera and Eva-Marie on their election; I look forward to working with them all. We're determined to make Islington a great place for our children and young people to grow up, and an essential ingredient in making that a success is listening to young people and working together to build a better future for the borough."

The Islington Youth Council is elected every two years but the positions of Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor change annually to give more of the Youth Council’s members the opportunity to hold office.

Youth councillors are responsible for making sure the opinions of young people in Islington are heard by campaigning for the needs and interests of their young electorate. Youth councillors also work with council officers and elected members to ensure young people have a key role in planning, designing, delivering and reviewing services.

Find out more about Islington Youth Council at izzy-info.com or follow them on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) @IslingtonYC

Notes to editor

The four Islington Youth Council priorities for 2022-24 are:

Safe Spaces for young people

• We recognise that young people need safe spaces both in person and online. Young people can feel isolated and need safe spaces where they can access a range of opportunities which can be fun, inspiring and supportive.

• We will promote Islington’s many safe youth spaces using our social media and in person, to all young people including LGBTQI, (Our aim is that all the borough’s safe spaces are welcoming to a diverse range of young people).

• We will work with the Councillors and Senior Managers to ensure young people influence the safe spaces available in the borough.

Youth Safety matters!

• We recognise that young people are concerned about youth safety both online and out in the borough. Young people are often the victim of crime and some are groomed into joining gangs. We are also aware that violence towards women and girls is an important issue within our communities particularly for young people. 

• We aim to promote youth safety both online (using our social media) and in person at events and activities.

• We will work with the Councillors and Senior Managers to review the delivery of Islington’s Youth Safety Strategy and the effectiveness of our approach, and represent the views of young people.

Supporting young people experiencing cost of living crisis and unemployment

• We recognise that young people are experiencing the cost of living crisis and this is having an adverse impact on their lives. We will promote education, employment and training opportunities using our social media and in person events and activities, to help improve the lives and economic wellbeing of young people. 

• We will work with the Councillors and Senior Managers to identify ways to support young people experiencing difficulties as a result of the cost of living crisis and represent the views of young people.

• We will use our social media to engage with our peers and promote opportunities to support young people.

Healthy minds and healthy bodies

We recognise that major events such as the Covid Pandemic has had an adverse impact on the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) of young people (This includes having a lack of sleep due to anxiety). Therefore access to high quality SEMH services is even more important to support young people.

We aim to promote positive body image in order to reduce the pressure young people face, (particularly online) to have the perfect look. We will use our social media to signpost young people to health and wellbeing services.

We will work with Councillors and Senior Managers to ensure young people have a good understanding of how to look after their own mental health and, when required, how to access SEMH services both online and in person at a variety of places within the borough.