Put simply, a Young Mayor is a young person who is elected by other young people to represent them.

The Young Mayor scheme was pioneered in Middlesbrough in 2002.At a point where voter apathy was at its highest since the Second World War, these elections were designed to introduce young people to democratic participation at an early age, as well as empowering young people to influence decisions made about them.

Lewisham was the first London Borough to establish a Young Mayor Programme. It is now well into its sixth successful year and going strong!

Since its inception, the idea has been taken up by a number of other local authorities and there are now more than ten democratically elected Young Mayors in England, representing young people in their areas aged between 11 and 18.  Each has a popular mandate, a real budget and a clear representational role.