Hull’s Young Mayor, Youth Representatives (Youth Reps), and the Young People’s Parliament work to make sure young people’s voices are heard and taken seriously across the city.
Together they form a connected system of youth leadership in Hull by the -
- Young Mayor championing youth interests publicly and works with leaders
- Youth Reps gathering and coordinating young voices throughout the year
- Young People’s Parliament giving a broader democratic forum for policy debates, votes, and consensus-building
The Young Mayor of Hull
The Young Mayor of Hull is a young person, usually aged between 11 and 17, elected by their peers to represent young people in the city. The role is separate from the adult Mayor of Hull. It’s all about youth voice and influence.
The Young Mayor of Hull will -
- act as an ambassador for young people across Hull
- support and lead youth engagement activities, campaigns, and initiatives
- work with councillors, community organisations, and the city council on issues that matter to young people
- attend civic events and speak publicly on behalf of young people
Hull Youth Representatives / Youth Reps
The Youth Reps are a voluntary group of young people aged 11 to 17 who meet regularly to discuss issues that matter to young people in Hull. They sit alongside the Young Mayor as part of the young leadership network.
The Youth Reps will -
- discuss local policy, services, and youth priorities
- work on practical campaigns, for example, they recently launched a food support and nutrition resource for residents
- help run events like the Hull Young People’s Parliament, including workshops and debates
- host pop-up Parliament sessions in schools and community settings to gather wider views
Youth Reps help make sure that discussions in formal meetings reflect the real concerns of young people across the city, not just in formal events.
Pop-up Parliaments
In Hull, pop-up parliaments are informal, accessible meetings of young people that take place in local community settings like schools, youth centres and community venues rather than in formal civic buildings. These sessions bring the Young People’s Parliament out into the places where young people live and learn so they can share their views and influence local decisions in a relaxed, inclusive way.
In these sessions -
- young people come together to discuss topics affecting their lives, helping to shape priorities for the city’s youth agenda
- participants share views and ideas in a way that feeds into the larger Young People’s Parliament and contributes to youth voice work across Hull
- help ensure that the views of young people from across the city, not just those attending major events, are heard by adults and decision-makers
Hull Young People’s Parliament
The Hull Young People’s Parliament is an annual assembly for young people aged roughly 11 to 18 from schools and youth organisations across the city. It’s a space for democratic debate, workshops, and policy discussions.
In the Hull Young People’s Parliament -
- over 100 young people attend each year to debate issues, propose ideas, and vote on priorities
- participants represent a wide range of schools and youth groups, including mainstream, SEND, and alternative provision
- sessions include debates in the council chamber, mock policymaking, and workshops
- issues discussed are often linked to the city’s Children and Young People Plan, such as safety, transport, health, and wellbeing
The Parliament is expressly designed to empower young people to influence real decisions affecting their lives and to ensure that city leaders hear their viewpoints directly.