Young people from schools across Leeds have been working hard on their manifestos and campaigns as part of efforts to become this year’s Mayor for a Day.
The annual election sees candidates from different schools pit their wits against each other to become the Lord Mayor of Leeds for one day only.
The competition is organised by Leeds City Council as part of Local Democracy Week 13-19 October 08, a Local Government Association initiative which aims to make young people aware of and take part in local decision making.
Last year’s young Mayor, 13 year old Connor Prior is a pupil at Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School. His manifesto was firmly based on trying to limit damage to the environment.
His policies included families cutting their carbon footprints by a quarter; increasing fines for people who drop litter; doing more to tackle rubbish in schools; encouraging us to do more recycling and developing a school policy on the environment.
You can read the summaries of the manifestos for this year's entrants below or download the full version in pdf format from this page.
Sophie Cooper-Connolly, Boston Spa School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Students demand new arena for Leeds
2. Youth of Leeds lobby Lord Mayor for Leeds Arena
3. Leeds Schools request meetings with local councillors for support in arena demands
Michaella Briscomb, Brigshaw High School and Language College
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Clean, green and affordable travel using walking, cycling and revamped public transport to create an eco friendly and forward thinking city of the future.
2. This would include free bus travel for U18’s in a clean, comfortable and funky environment. This would use completely green and ground breaking electro magnetic propulsion technology.
3. The other main proposal would be covered cycling and walking lanes to encourage park and ride usage and would ban cars from the inner city. Paid for by Government and private business the scheme would truly transform how the city gets about.
Alica Brain, Bruntcliffe School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Reduce carbon emissions by introducing hydrogen filling stations and a congestion charge.
2. Make schools more fuel efficient by introducing solar panels and wind turbines and complete energy efficiency tests throughout all Leedsschools.
3. Encourage more recycling by introducing more recycling facilities throughout Leeds and in all Leeds Schools.
Beth Tonkin, Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Cycling is the answer to our transport problems, it will create healthier and fitter people and reduce the pollution caused by cars and motorized transport
2. I would create a special funding project to help less fortunate families. This would start by having a cheap rental shop for hiring out bikes that families could keep for certain periods of time. I would also make cycling routes much safer for example by put a florescent barrier around the edge of the cycling road.
3. I would suggest that everyone cycle to work for one day we would then realise how simple it is and everyone one would feel much better after exercise, and just think there would be no ‘rush hour’. I would also create a ‘keep fit and save our planet group so that everyone can become one community where cars are almost extinct bicycles are in there place forget about motors on wheels think about people on wheels!
Raneek Hull, City of Leeds High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Acknowledging, accepting and experiencing the wealth and culture of Leeds.
2. Create a global arts centre on the outskirts of Leeds
3. Create an arena that would educate people, an arena where you can experience new things, an arena that you can enjoy being you and chill with family and friends
Katrina Hendry, Corpus Christi Catholic College
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Be green – get on your bike
2. Create more cycle lanes
3. Campaign
Zoe Tarry, John Jamieson School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
Our aim if we were mayor for a day would be to get Leeds moving.
1. We would run a city wide campaign to make people aware of green issues.
2. Leaflets and road shows would promote driving to save petrol
3. Rewards for car sharing would be offered at petrol stations- paid for by the council.
Bryony Jameson, Morley High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Facilities of the arena
2. Transport to the arena
3. Young people’s voice in relation to the arena
Jonathan Corner, Otley Prince Henry's Grammar School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. The arena
2. Stop litter
3. Increase fines and make more bins
Rebecca Fox, Roundhay School Technology College
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. I believe that the need for “Green Travel” is one of the most important issues today, especially for young people who most greatly experience the consequences of global warming.
2. I believe that more needs to be done to encourage greener travel, which included introducing more methods of green travel.
3. I would put into action various campaigns and schemes, such as the “Roll into School”.
Joe Matthews, St Mary's High S
chool
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Commerce: A new arena would bring jobs to the city and many new visitors who would happily spend money on high quality entertainment
2. Community: A new arena would provide the young people of this city with many opportunities to come together and have a wide variety of experiences
3. Culture: A new arena would allow young people to gain wide experience of different forms of entertainment including major sporting events and concerts
Stephen Gierke, Temple Moor High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. A Leeds Arena would be multi purpose.
2. The new Leeds Arena will attract many visitors from all over the country and worldwide.
3. It would also be accessible for everyone including those with disabilities.
Hannah Durno-McMonagle, West Leeds High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign
1. Leeds needs an arena.
2. Build an arena that has a number of different uses and could be accessed by all ages across the city.
3. Make the building be eye catching but fit in the Leeds sky line, making sure that it is environmentally friendly.
Rebecca Levett, Wortley High School
Three brief bullet points summarising your campaign:
1. Bus fares to go down
2. Making bikes cheaper
3. Making bioethanol cars cheaper