Redbridge Youth Election 2024

I aim to reduce food poverty for young people by promoting programs which advocate policies addressing issues on hunger and free school meals. I will support local food businesses and collaborate with supermarkets, to foster a culture where the community helps by providing nutritious meals, so no young person goes to bed hungry and food waste decreases.

I aspire to reshape the narrative for our youth, by redefining success, prioritising mental health and advocating for education that values creativity and practical skills. I plan to raise awareness of early career exploration paths, create mentoring programs and integrate life skills education. I will make sure young people are aware of how to navigate academic challenges and uncertainties with confidence.

Domestic and child abuse are an ongoing problem for young people in Redbridge. I intend to raise awareness of support systems and promote them in schools, so young people are acquainted with trauma-informed training. I hope to break this cycle by advocating for counselling for perpetrators and fostering healing initiatives; unshackling lives from abuse so every child in Redbridge grows up free from abuse. I hope to become MYP so I can implement these changes in Redbridge; the Borough I call home.

•  To help reduce food poverty and increase awareness of aid for

         families in living crisis.

• Campaign to create mentoring programs and educate young people about career paths.
• Educate young people on the channels available to support them

        against domestic and child abuse.

I aim to improve life for young people in Redbridge by reducing the issues that impact them the most, such as the stress of deciding what options to take post-GCSE's, especially considering many don't know what options are open to us.

To help, I would integrate more programs and assemblies in schools to better inform young people and therefore reduce the pressure and anxiety around the whole process. Furthermore, I would campaign to create a #BullyFreeBorough, as bullying may seem like an issue only connected to schools, but it often extends outside of schools and many students experience it. So it is important for us to have a way to deal with and prevent the bullying behaviours through opportunities within the council and partners like clubs to provide help for young people.

In addition, I aim to boost their self-confidence and sense of belonging as we live in a diverse area. I feel that we should all come together to celebrate our differences, as we all want the best for the future of our communities, which are based on young people. To help, we would support council events around celebrating and representing all.

• I plan to introduce a program aiding young people in deciding their post 16+ options.
• I will campaign to create a #BullyFreeBorough where young people feel safe.
• To help make young people of all ethnicities and cultures feel well represented.

As a passionate advocate for the environment, my first action would be to encourage all schools in Redbridge to become 'Plastic Clever Schools.' This would significantly reduce plastic consumption and educate students about the detrimental effects of plastic on the planet. I have already pioneered this project in my school, witnessing its positive impact on students, staff and the school environment. As a member of the Youth Parliament, I pledge to extend this initiative, across all schools in Redbridge. I am also passionate about enriching educational experiences for students. I believe that it is imperative for students to be aware that they can visit universities earlier in their educational journey, so that they can make informed decisions about their studies and career paths, rather than choosing blindly. Likewise, young people need to broaden their experiences, cultural understanding, and language skills beyond the classroom. This can be achieved through increasing their awareness of educational trips within the UK and internationally.

• I pledge to encourage all schools to be Plastic Clever Schools. 

• I pledge to raise awareness of educational trips and experiences for students outside of school.
• To create awareness of universities so students can make the right educational and career choices.

I will encourage every school to have a youth mental health program, with trained peer ambassadors to ensure students can get emotional health support from their peers. We will organise, events and activities to raise awareness about mental health and provide information on how to access support and to the reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. By receiving support from their peers, students can feel more comfortable talking about their mental health and seek help when needed.

Building on mental health security, I aim to create initiatives to work with both young people and parents, to increase the e-safety of teenagers in a social media driven world. Furthermore I will encourage and work with students on the new e-safety bill, and how to stay safe and protect themselves online.

Lastly, I aim to encourage every secondary school to open a food bank to make food accessible for students and families. By doing so, we can help ensure that every student has access to nutritious food; to benefit both their health, and academic progress. Hunger and malnutrition have serious consequences on a young person’s physical and mental health, which is why opening food banks is crucial to their wellbeing.

Create mental health ambassador roles for students to get the support they need from their peers.

• Create mental health ambassador roles for students to get the support they need from their peers.
• Tackle child food insecurity by food banks in all schools and fundraising for them.
• Promoting e-safety initiatives to involve parents and further educate students on online safety.

I want to make Redbridge a better place for everyone. I care about the environment, and I want to make a positive change to prevent the effects of climate change. To contribute towards this, I would also like to spread awareness about climate change to the youth in Redbridge, by organising workshops that would keep them abreast of the situation in a more interactive and practical way.

I am passionate about education and learning and I want to make sure that everyone has a chance to learn and grow. I believe young people should have equal opportunities. To achieve this, I would raise awareness of volunteering opportunities. I would also pledge for workshops that would help young people achieve academic excellence. Furthermore, I would push for more funding and resources for young people that need them.

I believe that mental health, is a big contributing factor in the development of young people’s lives. To help solve this issue, I would raise awareness of different youth centres. Furthermore, I would encourage the introduction of more mentors and therapists in Redbridge schools so students could have a person to talk to who would provide them with confidential support.

• Climate Change. Organising Workshops. Raise awareness on climate change. Volunteering opportunities.
• Education and Learning. Workshops and funding for more resources for the youth in the borough.
• Mental Health. Raise awareness of youth centres. Support schools with mentors and therapists.

In order to create a secure atmosphere for the youth of Redbridge and make sure they feel safe and capable of defending themselves, when necessary, I believe that addressing street violence and stabbings is extremely crucial. My plan is to encourage the incorporation of defence lessons into the school curriculum. In a situation where young people find themselves in danger, this would enable them to defend and protect themselves. In addition, I plan to support Police and Community Safety initiatives across Redbridge. This would decrease the chances of violence in the streets and ensure that there will be help and assistance in case of an attack.

Extracurricular activities are essential to building a bright future because they not only help you acquire useful skills but also look great on resumes and CVs, which will entice colleges, universities, and other institutions to select you. So, in order to raise awareness of more extracurricular activities and clubs, I intend on launching a workshop where students are taught the advantages of clubs and they will also have the opportunity to obtain access to knowledge and details about the extracurricular clubs and activities available in Redbridge.

• Workshops where students will get details on clubs in Redbridge, it will develop skills, help CVs.
• Defence lessons in school, support Police & Community Safety initiatives to solve street violence.
• Clubs where students can help each other in studies to improve their education and learning.

Your voice matters, It’s your power. I believe in our voices and opportunities, as young people. If I were elected, I would dedicate my time to creating more opportunities, for us to voice our opinions, and gain confidence. I believe that every young person should be able to choose their future and pursue what they love. To tackle this, I will create more clubs and events of our choosing, helping fuel our passions, and will send out a leaflet to schools to gain awareness of existing clubs, which will help tackle my second aim. 1/5 children experience mental health problems in Redbridge. I have seen first hand the stress we must undertake. It is important that we have a life outside of schoolwork, therefore, I will strengthen mentoring systems by assigning older students with younger and will implement mental health breaks in schools. Lastly, I believe in action for our planet. Climate change is a growing issue, and we must do our part as a community to reduce it. In Redbridge schools, I would first like to start with incorporating Ecosia, a search engine that raises money to plant trees.

• More power and opportunities for young people.
• Supporting mental health.
• Tackling climate change.

During my term, my main priority would be to increase the careers education offering across Redbridge and make it more engaging for young people. Working with local businesses, colleges and schools to develop work experience programmes as well as enhance, education information on other paths post-GCSE such as apprenticeships, BTECS and T levels.

I would also like to work to develop an online careers platform to further support and guide students with their post education choices.

Secondly, work to increase safety for young people in the local community by working with the Redbridge school streets programme. This includes improving street lighting and crossings along school routes. Working with schools and businesses to establish ‘safeshops’ where young people can seek refuge when faced with potentially dangerous situations. Also educate young people on further support services such as emergency and non-emergency contacts.

In addition I would like to enhance the PSHCE curriculum offering on Sexual Health Education (S.H.E), including adding information on consent and contraceptives. Also making the current offering more interactive, accessible and engaging for young people. To do this I would like to work with Young People Friendly Redbridge.

• I aim to expand careers education.
• I aim to increase safety for all young people in Redbridge.
• Improve sexual health education.

Redbridge faces a pressing, youth mental health crisis. My strategy encourages all Redbridge Schools to adopt the 'Watch Your Language' program or similar. Implementing a rewards/sanctions system to deter bullying and fostering a positive environment. I'll organise stress-relief and exam workshops, extracurricular activities, and peer mentorship programs. This comprehensive education package will include form time activities, forums, and engaging events to create a mentally healthier Redbridge.

In collaboration with local authorities, schools, ‘CFR’ Ambassadors and police, I'll amplify street safety awareness. Sanctions/rewards programs will target deviant behaviours, like vaping and grooming by gangs. Safety measures include partnering with the police, schools and Transport for London to make public transport safer. Teaming up with local businesses, we'll establish certified safe zones with Bystander training programs, with Community Safety. The lighting up of risky areas and implementing cameras will further ensure our youth's safety.

Disadvantaged students bear the brunt of fuel poverty. I'll collaborate with local businesses, support groups, and charities to address this through inclusive opportunities and activities. Utilising Redbridge's social media, I'll promote events, fostering a sense of community. Engagement with Hainault Youth Centre and free opportunity providers will amplify our impact on youth, addressing fuel poverty and fostering inclusivity.

• I aim to work with schools to inform the youth about ways to better their mental health.
• I aim to educate the youth to make responsible decisions about what to do when faced with violence.
• I aim to address child poverty by working with local charities, providing support to young people.

I aim to tackle Food insecurity in Redbridge, a prominent issue with 1 in 5 households in UK suffering from it. As your future member of Youth Parliament, I will partner with Redbridge food banks to encourage one-day food banks in locations where this service is not provided. I would also create ‘The Redbridge Food Prep Project’ , a project which allows volunteers from the community to prepare cold food in a public space or kitchen and provide it to the homeless.

Communication between teachers and students has been widely overlooked for some time. I wish to find out what teachers are currently taught about handling sensitive global issues, sexual harassment, and bullying. After taking opinions from students and teachers I would create resources for Inset days to be presented to teachers around schools, highlighting how it would be preferred that these issues are approached.

I also plan to improve Education and learning within the borough, by creating opportunities in schools for personal finance management to be taught through workshops. Small business fairs will also be held, so that a wider range of career opportunities can be explored by the youth. This will encourage rising entrepreneurs and any small businesses.

• Temporary food banks, cold food served in locations where this service is not currently provided.
• Create resources and opportunities for effective communication between students and teachers.
• Fairs for aspiring entrepreneurs and Money Management workshops in schools and online.