The Mayor of Wigan is looking for someone to take her place…
Don’t worry, current mayor Cllr Mrs Eunice Smethurst isn’t stepping down but she’s looking for a very special young person to take the chain and become Mayor For A Day.
The right candidate will be aged 13 to 19, have an interest in local politics and be passionate about our borough. In return they’ll get to see what life is like in the top job by becoming the borough’s official figurehead for the day and undertaking all the duties of the mayor.
It’s all part of the borough’s celebrations for this year’s Local Democracy Week, which runs from October 16 to 20.
Local Democracy Week is a national campaign run by the Local Government Association which aims to raise awareness about the role that local authorities play. It also aims to encourage more people to get involved in the decision making process at local level, particularly young people.
There will be a host of special events taking place in the borough during Local Democracy Week, including a special town hall open day for the public and a special meeting of the council’s Cabinet at Winstanley College. The week will culminate in an exciting event at Wigan Town Hall on Friday October 20 called Circles of Influence during which young people will be given the chance to quiz local MPs, council chiefs, councillors and others on the issue that affect them.
As part of the Circles of Influence event, young people all over the borough are being asked to write questions they would like to ask on the night on postcards and return them. The Mayor for a Day will be chosen from the postcards returned.
After being chauffeured to the town hall from their home or school in the mayoral car the ‘new’ Mayor will officially launch Local Democracy Week on Monday October 16. They will be Cllr Mrs Smethurst’s guest in the Mayor’s Parlour before attending the prestigious Wigan Design Awards at the Investment Centre as guest of honour. The mayor will accompany the young person throughout the day.
Cllr Mrs Smethurst says: “The theme of this year’s Local Democracy Week is Take Part, Take Power and we want people to do exactly that.
“It’s a great opportunity to find out more about the council, what it does and how you can make a difference by getting involved.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting my ‘protégé’ for the day and I’m sure it will be a great experience for whoever is chosen. Up to now I have had a very exciting and fulfilling year as mayor and I hope the winner can also experience this. Will this also mean I get the day off?”
- Young people interested in taking part in Local Democracy Week and submitting a question for the Circles of Influence event can do so by the end September. The postcards are available from schools, youth workers, libraries, connexions centres and other venues across the borough.
- You can also text your question to 07930 192311 or e-mail it to linconline@wlct.org
- Young people who would like to attend the Circles of Influence event can contact youth worker Angela Wood on the mobile number listed above or on 01942 510112.
- For more information on how anyone can get involved in Local Democracy Week visit the national website www.localdemocracy.org.uk
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Notes to Editors
For more information contact Phil Green at Wigan Council’s Press Office on 01942 827369.
