Nathan King
As UKYMP there are a number of things I would address and work to change:
Transport is a major issue for young people, and I would like to improve accessibility, making it more available and efficient for young people living all over Southampton, and also at a reduced cost or possibly even for free. OAPs use buses for free, so there is no reason why this should not be the same for under-18s, who use it just as much.
I believe young people in Southampton deserve a bigger say in what happens in their city. I will try my best to get young people heard and listened to, and would love to see the voting age and minimum wage lowered to 16 to give young people more opportunities and rights. We have fantastic ideas, and we know what we as young people want, so our voice is really important.
Young people are getting a bad image in the press; this is something I think is wrong and incorrect. By getting more projects for young people, I would like to give us the better media image we deserve and should have. I would like to give young people the chance to get involved with issues such as global warming. We will be the people dealing with these issues in years to come, so it is important we start to deal with it and be heard now.
Young people face many issues every day, and I believe that not enough is currently done to help with this. In many schools bullying is a problem and Southampton has one of the highest underage pregnancy rates in the UK. More support systems should be set up for people who need help and advice so we can tackle these issues.
