Islington elects new Young Mayor, Deputy Young Mayor and Member for Youth Parliament
Lydia Banjo has been elected as the new Young Mayor and Arkan Ali Akiil as Deputy Young Mayor while Abubakar Finiin is the new Member for Youth Parliament.
They were elected by their fellow youth councillors on Monday 18 February and will hold office for a year.
Lydia and Arkan will also be responsible for representing Islington's Youth Council at regional young mayor meetings as well as civic events and award ceremonies.
Lydia said: "I am very honoured to be given the opportunity by my fellow youth councillors. I am looking forward to making a difference and to make our name as youth councillors much larger."
Arkan said: "Being elected has made me feel like I can really make a difference in the borough and I am looking forward to tackling knife crime and Islamaphobia."
Cllr Joe Caluori, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families said: "It's important the council listens carefully to the voices of young people so that we can work together to create a great place for young people to grow up in and achieve their ambitions."
The Islington Youth Council is elected every two years but the position 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.com/IslingtonYC or Twitter @IslingtonYC
Notes to editors
The four Youth Council priorities for 2018-20 are:
#StayingSafe
We will work together with council leaders to promote and support Islington’s Youth Crime Plan, Working Together for a Safer Islington.
We will challenge negative views about young people and promote positive messages about staying safe online and out in our communities.
We will listen to the views of young people about how safe we feel in our communities and feed these back to council leaders and the police.
#BeingHealthy
We will promote a wide range of fun physical activities that are open to all young people.
We will hear the views of young people about the issues that make us feel worried or stressed.
We will make sure that the redesigned mental health services for young people are accessible and meet our needs.
#OurFreeTime
We will promote opportunities for young people to socialise together in our communities and in spaces that we feel comfortable using.
We will make sure young people can influence and access community spaces, estates, parks and open spaces, including ones that are being developed or redesigned.
We will promote all of the opportunities available in our free time, including youth hubs and clubs, leisure centres, libraries and any activities that give us the chance to relax, learn and have fun.
#FutureReady
We will advocate for the Fair Futures recommendation of at least 100 hours of experience of the world of work by the age of 16, as well as promote apprenticeship and employment opportunities for young people in Islington.
We will ask council leaders to include important subjects like money management, first aid, housing and other skills for life in our education and free time activities.
We will check that we have real opportunities to get involved in decision making through our education, free time activities and the relationships with professionals that work with us.
Contact information
If you are a member of the public with a general question about the council please view the contact information on our website or call 020 7527 2000.