Southend City Youth Council’s Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor were both presented with their official chains last month.
Tuesday 11 July saw Youth Mayor Jocelyn Ayao from Southend High Schools for Girls and Josh Hosking from Southchurch School as Deputy Youth Mayor, both presented with their official mayoral chains by The Mayor.
A delighted Jocelyn said: “I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to represent and champion key topics affecting young people. My manifesto lies mainly in the aspect of education specifically financial knowledge.
“I believe developing healthy personal financial habits is essential for a secure and happy future. Organising financial literacy workshops that can then be distributed to schools, can educate young people in an engaging manner. I am very excited to be working with the team on this project, hopefully changing the way young people look at money.”
New Deputy Youth Mayor, Josh, added: “I am so proud to get the opportunity to represent my community and my home. I aim to make the youth of Southend feel more confident and comfortable in their homes and community. I am so honoured to represent my school and the people around me.”
Previously Aila Chaudry-Rashid and Thomas Cauchi had a very successful term of office as Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor respectively, with many highlights including launching a vaping survey, hosting the Youth Council meet and greet as well as representing the views of young people at a number of meetings and local events.
The Mayor, Cllr Stephen Habermel, said: "I am incredibly proud of Youth Mayor Jocelyn Ayao and Deputy Youth Mayor Josh Hosking for their dedication and passion in representing the young people of Southend.
"Their commitment to championing important issues such as financial literacy and community engagement, showcases the immense potential of our youth to drive positive change.
"With their official chains now donned, we look forward to witnessing the impact they will make, building on the success of their predecessors and continuing to amplify the voices of our city's young generation."
Membership of Southend City Youth Council is open to all young people aged 11-18 who live or go to school in the City of Southend.
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Photos are available on our Flickr site.