Two young mayors have been elected in Enfield to help the Council work more closely with young people and deliver a lifetime of opportunities in the borough.
Okan Gurhan, 15, and Christevie Ngoma, 17, have taken up the roles of Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor respectively and will represent the interests of Enfield young people to politicians, residents, public services such as the NHS and the wider community so that services and policies meet the needs of everyone.
The Young Mayor scheme – the first of its kind in Enfield was suggested and taken forward by the current Mayor of Enfield, Cllr Kate Anolue.
Cllr Anolue said: “I am delighted we have two passionate, intelligent and dedicated young people who represent the views of the younger generation in Enfield.
“We want to encourage young people to become involved in the democratic process and help us to make Enfield a better place for everyone.”
Enfield Council Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “The initiative is about making sure young people have a voice and are at the heart of what we do at the council to drive positive change for our borough.
“I wish Okan and Christevie a successful and productive year in their new positions and look forward to working with them in the future.”
The Council created the new roles to enable the Council to work more closely with young people. The pair were drawn from Enfield Youth Parliament and have been elected for a year to represent the views of young people and encourage them to create opportunities around the issues that matter most to them and their communities.
They were presented to this week’s meeting of the Full Council by Enfield’s Mayor Cllr Kate Anolue.
The role of Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor will be a continuous position in the Borough of Enfield and will change in line with the Mayoral post each year.
Their inauguration will place each year at the Annual Full Council Meeting.
Cllr Anolue has vowed to work closely with this year’s Young Mayoral team and Youth Parliament members continuously, even when her Mayoral year finishes and she will also be liaising with other Young Mayoral teams in other Boroughs to share ideas and knowledge.