Applications Open for Southampton’s Next Children’s Mayor

Parents and carers of Year 5 children are being encouraged to apply for the next Southampton Children’s Mayor before applications close on 19 December.

The Children’s Mayor programme gives young people the opportunity to learn about local government, develop leadership skills, and make a difference in their community.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to get involved in local government, champion a project they feel strongly about and attend events with members of the public, Councillors, Cabinet Members and MPs,” organisers said.

The role of Southampton’s Children’s Mayor has helped young people across the city grow in confidence and take pride in representing their peers. “It has been a pleasure to work with every Children’s Mayor, watching their confidence grow and thrive in the role,” a spokesperson added.

The current Children’s Mayor, Zeyno, has been praised for her work on her Super Skills project, which she launched earlier this year alongside the Cross-Culture Hub. The project brought together people of all ages and backgrounds to share and learn new skills.

“It was a wonderful, inclusive event which showed just how much adults can learn from children like Zeyno,” said the team behind the Children’s Mayor programme.

Applications are usually made through schools, but organisers are keen to make sure home-educated children also have the chance to take part. “We are sharing this message widely to encourage our home-schooled children to take part,” they explained.

Parents and carers who would like to find out more can visit the Southampton City Council website and search Children’s Mayor, or go directly to soton.cc/ChildrensMayor.

Applications can also be submitted by emailing childrensmayor@southampton.gov.uk.