Young people in Shetland aged 14 to 25 are being invited to put themselves forward for election to the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP).
National SYP elections will take place in November 2021 and the process has begun to select those will represent the views of young people across Scotland. The SYP Elections are held every two years and those who are successfully elected will become Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) for the next parliamentary period.
Two MSYPs will be elected for each constituency across Scotland, including two for Shetland, representing young people across the country and organising campaigns on topics that matter to young people.
Successful previous SYP campaigns have included “Right Here, Right Now” which helped to see the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child incorporated into Scots Law, and “All Aboard” which recommended free bus travel and better transport accessibility for young people.
Any young person aged 14 to 25 who might be considering standing for election has until 30 June 2021 to register their initial expression of interest
In the last SYP elections, Leighton Anderson from Dunrossness and Jonathan Dorrat from Lerwick were elected unopposed to represent Shetland and took up their roles in July 2019. They have worked on many youth initiatives in the last two years, including local and national transport issues, youth surveys, and to connect more young people with decision makers. Both MSYPs have also attended meetings of the Council’s Education and Families Committee, and contributed to discussions on topics affecting young people in Shetland.
George Smith, Chair of the Council’s Education and Families Committee, said: “We really value the input of our current MSYPs Leighton and Jonathan who have ably represented the views of young people in Shetland on the things that matter to them. As we look ahead to an SYP election later this year, I’d urge anyone who has an interest in being the voice of youth in our community to consider putting themselves forward.”
Notes for Editors
The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is the democratic voice of Scotland’s young people, whose vision for Scotland is of a nation that actively listens to and values the meaningful participation of its young people.