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Kent Youth Council Council community candidates

Voting opened on 11 November and closes on 24 November for the Kent Youth County Council elections.

Results of the election will be published on 3 December.

Candidate manifestos

Read their manifestos to find out more about what issues they're standing for and submit your vote!

Neurodiverse Young People community seat

I want you to vote for me because:

I want be a voice for young people with mental health issues as I have seen the affects and know how they can feel alone and scared.

Issue 1: you're not alone

Set up groups where young people can anonymously talk to other young people with the same or similar issues so that they don't feel so alone and they know other people are also facing the same or similar things.

Issue 2: reach out

Design and set up an interactive website aimed at young people with mental health issues containing links to support charities on where to get help and advice if they need or want it, not just for young people with mental health issues but also for people supporting them with their issues.

Issue 3: drop in

Speak with the council about setting up a youth drop-in where young people can go and speak with youth workers for advice on whatever they need. Or just go and hang out together supervised in a safe space and have fun doing things like gaming, playing pool, playing table tennis, for example.

I want you to vote for me because:

I will try my best to help those who need someone talk to by showing my support and listening to their point of views on anything.

Issue 1: helping neurodiverse people

I would show my support by helping them express themselves by talking to me if they need to.

Issue 2: visiting refugee

If I become a community representative, I would go to visit refugees and try the best I can to make them feel welcomed.

Issue 3: visiting young parents

If you vote for me I would support young parents to the best of my ability and also show my support

I want you to vote for me because:

I want to support other young people that are neurodiverse to ensure they aren't bullied.

Issue 1: peer support for people with hidden disabilities

Making sure young people with hidden disabilities have a safe space to discuss issues within school.

Issue 2: spread awareness of different hidden disabilities

I think its really important that other young people know about hidden disabilities so I would love to create posters and educational resources to put up in schools.

Issue 3: helping young people with autism have a voice

Helping young people that have autism to share their problems and trying to help them with them.

I want you to vote for me because:

I think more support needs to be given to neurodivergent people and people being bullied in the community.

Issue 1: safe spaces for nuerodivergent people

I would like to campaign on having safe spaces for neurodivergent people. Without pressure of having to speak to people but also have people to offer support. I also would like to have more places in school people can go to that is not a club, but just a place where people can go to chill with sofas.

Issue 2: more test support

I would like to campaign for having more support during tests for people with disabilities, like people who struggle with large halls full of people to have separate spaces to do tests or GCSEs.

Issue 3: support for people being bullied

I’m a campaigning for better teacher support in things like bullying, especially at my school where I find the support for people being bullied doesn’t always work. Normally, the person just gets told to stop but then carries on. I would love to help with getting more support for people being bullied.

I want you to vote for me because:

I want to give a voice to those who can't.

Issue 1: neurodivergent children need more help in secondary school

Secondary schools throughout the UK don't give enough support to students with learning difficulties such as ASD or ADHD. I believe that teacher should give them more opportunities and methods to learn and help them achieve their fullest potential.

Issue 2: protect the youth of our LGBT community

As a society we are more open than we used to be but we can also be very homophobic and exclusive. I've noticed that some young people can't properly express themselves from fear of being bullied and judged. I want to create a safe community for everyone to be themselves.

Issue 3: more accessibility for young people

Out and about there is a large amount of accessibility for disabled people but in schools, especially mine, I've noticed there isn't much help. I know it can be difficult to make schools more accessible but I still want to try so that everyone can access the education they deserve.

Young BME community seat

I want you to vote for me because:

Young people are neglected, however, we have a loud voice which needs to be used and I want to bring more awareness to our needs and wants.

Issue 1: a more inclusive community

I want to live in a space where young people can look around and feel respected and heard. I would love to implement a more culturally diverse curriculum and workshops in schools all over Kent.

Issue 2: students being more involved in the decisions in schools

In this campaign, I want to make the student voice reflected in major school developments and decisions because we are an integral part of our individual school body. Most schools have an established student voice, but I want this to be used regularly and not be an afterthought.

Issue 3: keeping the environment clean

As young people, the decisions that are being made now about our environment will affect us later in our life, so therefore, it is counter-intuitive that we are not being involved in the process of making decisions. We should be educated in how our part can change the directory of our planet’s future.

I want you to vote for me because:

I would like to change the fact that a lot of people that aren't the stereotypical 'perfect' people are being discriminated against.

Issue 1: equality for all races

I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable in their own skin and I do not want anyone to think it is alright to judge people based on their skin colour. There are a lot of bright people in our community who have their lights diminished by racists comments like "go back to where you came from".

Issue 2: don't judge the bump

There are so many young girls and boys who's lives have been changed by getting pregnant or having to take care of a child. Many people judge them and bully them and so they have to drop out of school. I want to stop this, as you do not know anyone's story and how they got to where they are now.

Issue 3: look at the brain, not at the skin

I have heard so many stories from people that are not from the community, talking about how they had to work twice as hard to get the same reward as everyone else. They also talked about how they isolated because of where they came from. As a community, we need to end this.

I want you to vote for me because:

I want to be a person of change, someone who has the power to have a positive impact on people lives.

Issue 1: caring beyond limits

Young carers have demanding responsibilities and can put them in a position where freedom is limited making it hard to hang out with friends or have someone to talk to, so I want to be that person that listens to what they have to say and try being there for them when they need it most.

Issue 2: unlocking a world of opportunities

International students would have to leave the place they were brought up in to maybe study or learn about a new place which can be a positive experience but this also means leaving behind family. I want to be able to help them feel like this is their home and help them get used to living here.

Issue 3: colours of change

History has given us the mind set that some ethnic groups are above others which isn't right I want to show BME groups that we are all equal and want them to be proud of where they come from and the confidence to proudly say where they are from.

I want you to vote for me because:

I am exemplary in my pride for diversity and I would like to build a more openly diverse environment in Kent.

Issue 1: promoting cultural awareness

Provide education on different cultures and their origins.

Issue 2: encouraging diverse cuisines

Allow people the freedom to try different cuisines.

Issue 3: increase the number of cultural days/events

Use these events/days to promote diversity and showcase different aspects of cultures.

I want you to vote for me because:

I aim to campaign for educational rights, challenge racial stigma and break barriers for black students to succeed academically.

Issue 1: equal access, equal future - empowering black students for academic success

For this campaign, I aim to advocate for equal access to education for black students by dismantling systemic barriers and contributing to a positive, inclusive environment. I aim to close the achievement gap through better resources and opportunities for black students.

Issue 2: erase the label - black boys are more than a label

For this campaign, I aim to eliminate stigmas that portray black men as gang affiliated. I want to create a society where black men are accepted for their talents and achievements rather than just the colour of their skin by raising awareness and challenging racial profiling.

Issue 3: beyond barriers - breaking racial barriers to black excellence

For this campaign, I aim to focus on improved mentorship, opportunities and fair representation for black students to strive to their full potential, challenging the racial barriers in education and even the workforce.

I want you to vote for me because:

Since I was in the KYCC last year, I have had experience in representing the beliefs of young ethnic and black minority groups in Kent

Issue 1: representing young ethnic and black minority groups

I would like to represent where I come from. As a young black African immigrant such as myself, I would like to represent my community, where i come from and be a positive role model for my community.

Issue 2: young international students

I would like to have the chance to represent young international students in my community who have come into the UK to pursue a bright future and get a good education. I feel as if we are an under-represented group of people and I want to have the chance to represent them and be their voice.

Issue 3: young immigrant children

As a young immigrant student, I would like to represent us because I feel as if we don't receive as much support or a voice. As someone who had to undergo a life altering move, I feel as if I didn't get enough mental support or a voice, and therefore I would like to be a representative of my people.

Young Religious People community seat

I want you to vote for me because:

Having chaired campaigns, I am a dedicated leader, passionate about diversity and inclusion, and determined to give those unheard a voice.

Issue 1: diversity and inclusion

As Chair of the Tackling Discrimination project, I raise awareness and appreciate diversity in our region, from culture, ability, religion to sexuality. By creating podcasts and hosting webinars, I aim to elevate the voice of those unheard and remove societal bias so young people feel more secure.

Issue 2: artificial intelligence (AI)

As an advocate for AI literacy and equity, I raise awareness on AI ethics and bias to encourage students to recognise pitfalls in inequalities from AI. By hosting webinars and creating policies through my school-wide research program, I aim to amplify the importance of safety around AI countywide.

Issue 3: mental health

Mental health issues are becoming increasingly common and we must help awareness and support young people. As an active member of the mental health campaign group, I create and direct media and would like to encourage community engagement to educate students, parents and staff about the importance of mental health.

I want you to vote for me because:

I promise that you will feel included, safe and happy in schools. I will create initiatives to celebrate your religious festivals.

Issue 1: make teachers more aware of religious beliefs and rights, to ensure all children are treated equally

Some teachers are unaware of religious belongings and traditions, which causes them to treat students unfairly. For example, in Sikhism, Sikhs are not allowed to take off their kara, a religious bracelet, however school teachers always force them to take it off, causing them distress.

Issue 2: I want to tackle bullying based on religious looks (hijab, turban and more)

I want to create posters for schools which explains the meaning behind certain religious traits, which are unique to religions, for example, a hijab. This will allow them to feel more included.

Issue 3: let's celebrate different religion festivities in schools

We have holidays for Easter and Christmas but not for Vaisakhi, Ramadan, Diwali, with many people not even knowing the meaning behind these festivals. I want to make sure that all students feel celebrated and accepted. Therefore, schools should talk about these festivals and have an assembly on it.

Young Refugees community seat

I want you to vote for me because:

As a student from Nigeria, I want to make other international students from all over the world comfortable and make them feel welcome.

Issue 1: tackle racism

I want other people like me to be comfortable and not encounter racism from others.

Issue 2: tackle discrimination

I want to work with KYCC to tackle discrimination about body, mental health and personality. This is incredibly important to me.

Issue 3: hospitality

I want to work with KYCC to be welcoming towards international students.

I want you to vote for me because:

I'm a Ukrainian refugee studying A-levels in an English school. I'm committed to fostering inclusion, and advocating for our needs.

Issue 1: access to education - scholarship for refugee students fund

This is a campaign to ensure that financial barriers do not hinder talented individuals from pursuing their academic dreams. We aim to raise awareness about available scholarships, advocate for increasing funding and connect students with resources to educational opportunities.

Issue 2: fund our future - campaign for free university education for refugees

The campaign seeks to promote accessible higher education specifically for refugees. We advocate for government and institutional policies that eliminate tuition fees, enabling refugee students to pursue their degrees without financial barriers.

Issue 3: connect and thrive - international students club

Promote free sports and social clubs for refugee and international students to connect,build friendships