PASSIONATE young people from across the Malvern Hills District are being encouraged to apply to be the council’s first ever Youth Chairperson.

Malvern Hills District Council is searching for 11 to 17 years olds who live in the district and are interested in improving and supporting their community.

Cllr Tom Wells, portfolio holder for community services at Malvern Hills District Council, said: " It is a fantastic opportunity for young people to make their voices heard and make a difference within their community.

"Not only will it give them a real insight into how local government decisions are made but it will also provide them with new skills which will look great on their CV."

The Youth Chairperson will hold the position for one year and will lead on campaigns, get involved with local decision making and receive a budget to support local youth projects.

In addition, they will consult the district’s young people on key priorities

and represent them at meetings with local councillors and decision makers.

The role has been created as part of the council’s Youth Action Plan in response to the Bigger Picture Survey.

Conducted in 2018, this questionnaire surveyed more than 1,200 young people about what it is like to live, work and study in the district. The results

saw 85% say they wanted to be kept informed and get involved with decision making.

It is estimated that the chosen person would need to dedicate approximately 15 hours

of school time and five hours of personal time to the role per year.

Application is by either the submission of a short application form or

video, explaining why they want to become the Chair, why they think they would be good in the role, what key issues they want to focus on and what they would like to get out of the role.

Deadline for applications is Friday, March 20.