HSDC Havant and South Downs student Ella Reilly has been elected to a deputy role linking Portsmouth to the UK Youth Parliament.
The UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18-year olds to help influence key decisions that affect young people and children. Supported by Portsmouth City Council, the Youth Parliament member works alongside councillors as part of Portsmouth Education Partnership, which brings together all Portsmouth schools and partner organisations to improve attainment and opportunities for young people across the city.
Ella ran on a platform pushing equal opportunities and modern, inclusive education.
“I’ve heard from many young people that they want to see big changes in our education – the teaching of life skills, from CV writing to business skills. They want an education that teaches from a range of perspectives, one that teaches tolerance to stop hate at its root and education that values all intelligence.”
Her role as deputy will involve supporting the Youth Parliament member,
“I’m really looking forward to playing a role in supporting the creation of a powerful change-making platform for young people in the city. The importance of giving young people a meaningful voice is often overlooked and I hope to support the MYP in overcoming this. We will all be working together to ensure that the issues affecting today’s youth are addressed and brought to decision-makers.”