The Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) is the democratically elected voice of Scotland’s young people and it needs new voices to shout out now and become new members.
If you are aged 14-25 and interested in making a difference to your local community and representing your peers at a national level then please consider standing to become a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP).
You have until Friday 1 September 2023 to apply to stand in the next elections which will be held in November 2023. Learn more about how to apply [opens in a new window] and find out when the next information session for prospective candidates is being held.
In East Dunbartonshire, two constituencies – Strathkelvin & Bearsden and Clydebank & Milngavie – will be contested with candidates having a chance to represent other young people in their local community. Two East Dunbartonshire candidates will be elected to represent Strathkelvin & Bearsden and one East Dunbartonshire candidate will be elected to represent Clydebank & Milngavie.
Sophie Gartshore currently represents Clydebank & Milngavie in the SYP and hopes as many young people as possible consider standing at the upcoming elections.
She said,
The SYP was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I met lots of people from different walks of life and was part of many projects that will benefit both young people and government officials. I’ve become more confident and can easily say if I could do it all over again, I would. The skills and experiences you gain are immeasurable and I would encourage people to give it a go. Why not?
Felix Schofield is one of the MSPYs for Strathkelvin & Bearsden. He is encouraging anyone interested in standing to take the first step.
He said, “The SYP was one of the best experiences I’ve had. I met lots of people from different walks of life and was part of many projects that will benefit both young people and government officials. I’ve become more confident and can easily say if I could do it all over again, I would. The skills and experiences you gain are immeasurable and I would encourage people to give it a go. Why not?”
Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, Gordan Low added, “Young people like Felix and Sophie are doing an excellent job to ensure we hear the voices of young people on important current affairs. When their term of office ends, I hope we have as many candidates as possible seeking election, so please consider finding out more if you’d like to get involved in public life in this way.”
Anyone interested in standing for election to the SYP can find out more and register online or contact Amy O’Donnell, National Elections Coordinator on 0141 777 3082 or amy.odonnell@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
