South Tyneside's Young People Make Their mark

A South Tyneside student has pledged to leave no stone unturned to improve the lives of young people following his election to the Young People's Parliament.

Luke Hall, a student at St Wilfrid's RC College, was named South Tyneside's Member of the Youth Parliament while fellow St Wilfrid's student Josh Brown was named as his deputy.

More than 3,700 young people from every secondary school in South Tyneside voted in the election.

Luke said: "I am so honoured to be elected to represent the amazing young people of South Tyneside. Now more than ever it is important to speak out. It's simply not good enough to sit back and complain. This is the time to stand up and take action for ourselves and that's exactly what I intend to do.

"I'll be the committed and ambitious leader we all need right now. There will be no problem left unchallenged, no stone left unturned. I'll fight relentlessly for fair opportunities for every single young person in South Tyneside. I will work tirelessly to create real change that benefits everyone, not just the select few."

In his new role, Luke will lead on campaigns, speak out on issues that affect young people and attend events in the House of Commons.

The Mayor of South Tyneside, Councillor Pat Hay, said: "Being the Member of the Youth Parliament is an important role. It ensures that young people across South Tyneside have a voice within the borough, and it also ensures that South Tyneside's young people are represented in Westminster where local issues can be highlighted, and where the voices of our young people can influence national decision making."

This year the campaign theme for the Young People's Parliament will be on health and wellbeing although Luke has also pledged to tackle issues such as environmental policies and access to quality opportunities for the Borough's young people

Councillor Adam Ellison, Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: "This year's election had amazing support from schools across the Borough, and as a former Member of the UK Youth Parliament for South Tyneside, I am delighted to see a record number of votes cast this year. Everyone can shape local issues and it is fantastic that young people are engaging with democracy. Luke and Joshua will be fantastic ambassadors for South Tyneside - go Make Your Mark!"