Leeds Children's Mayor elections: candidates

Eseohe's manifesto

Issue: Mental health and wellbeing 

I believe that most children and young people suffer from mental health problems at some point. This might be as a result of various reasons which includes anxiety, discrimination, physical violence, bullying (verbal, physical, cyber), racism and sexism. This is an issue that many children go through and affect their lives. Some children have lost their lives, while others have changes in their behaviour. They may be unsure who to talk to and who can help them. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

In my opinion, my school could tackle mental health issues by: 

1. Making worry boxes for children to access which would enable them to leave notes which would be collected by a teacher who can sort out the problem or talk to the child. This may help them overcome their worries or use emotion coloured lollipop sticks: children can select a lollipop stick depending how they are feeling and put it in a jar that shows that emotion in their classroom at some point during the day.
2. Creating meditation groups or clubs where children can relax their mind.
3. Asking children rate how they feel from 1 to 10 during registration so that the class teacher has an idea of how they are feeling that morning or afternoon.

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

As a city, Leeds could offer: 

1. Supportive groups where children and young people can attend and get involved in different activities like arts and crafts or music and can talk to people that might be able give them advice and support.
2. Youth Clubs where children and young people can socialise with others, make new friends and perhaps talk to them about anything troubling them.
3. Create an awareness about how mental health can affect children and young people and what they can do to help themselves and each other.

Summary

To summarise, I want: 

• to raise awareness about mental health
• to make sure children are able to indicate to teachers how they are feeling
• groups set up with activities to support

Ember-Rose's manifesto

Issue: Mental health and wellbeing 

A child or young person’s health and wellbeing is such an important issue because children have many issues and suffer in silence, afraid to speak up. Mental health is just as valuable as physical health as it can have an impact on all aspects of their life. There are certain issues that affect a child’s mental health and wellbeing, and they are happening every day. Abuse and neglect, bullying, living with a disability, racism and academic struggles are just a few issues that young people must deal with every day. I want to be the voice for them. 

I believe that all schools should offer accessible and effective in-school help, provided by specialist mental health coaches. 1 in 5 children and young people have a probable mental disorder. Children and young people may find it easier to talk to a professional. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. There should also be more mental awareness within schools. Teachers should be trained to recognise the signs of a child or young person who may be struggling because often the child/young person is too afraid to ask for help. Good mental health awareness in schools means things can steer pupils and their families to more specialist mental health support within their local community.
2. Our school has ‘wellbeing’ days, and this is a fantastic way for getting the whole school involved in this topic. If this is not happening in all schools, I believe it should be! Some of the issues we talk about are issues we as children do not realise how much they affect us. Talking about the things that are on our mind as a group, means we feel less alone as others may be feeling what we are feeling
3. In-school counselling, although not mandatory, can also be beneficial.

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. In order for Leeds to tackle the issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing, I think it is important to give the young people a voice and let them tell us what changes or improvements can be made to help tackle this issue.
2. Children and young people want access to safe spaces to gather and connect with friends. Unfortunately, Leeds does not feel very safe and ironically, it is the young people who make it feel unsafe for others. Therefore, there should be more youth clubs or support groups that remove children from children off the streets and give them a purpose, social activities are an important factor for improving mental health and wellbeing.
3. Staying active is not only good for the brain but good for the body too. I think it would be a clever idea to organise fun runs or nature walks for children and young people to participate in. It would also be an effective way to make new friends. Eating a brain-healthy diet helps to support strong mental health. Having cooking classes or food recipes for children to make that promote healthy brain activity and overall good mood foods.

Summary

Health of children is always a priority for councils. However, my manifesto addresses pertinent mental health challenges faced by many children in Leeds schools. 

Zoha's manifesto

Issue: Mental health and wellbeing 

Mental health and wellbeing are an important part Of young people's development and success. The NHS reports that around 1 in 5 young people aged 8 to 25 in England experienced mental health difficulties In 2023, with conditions like anxiety and depression being the most common. This is absolutely horrendous, Poor mental health can significantly impact a young person's life because students would be more likely to have low self-esteem, poor academic performance, and no motivation. 

Ignoring mental health issues can lead to poor physical health, social isolation, lower academic performance, and a higher risk of suicide. Therefore, focusing on mental health support and promoting wellbeing for young people is essential. Additionally, the Make Your Mark ballot 2024 has confirmed that young people across the UK need more support around health and wellbeing as it was voted as the top issue. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Schools should incorporate mental health education into their curriculum to raise awareness about it. This can include teaching students about common mental health issues, coping strategies, and how to seek help. Workshops, guest speakers, and age- appropriate materials can normalise conversations about mental health and provide students with knowledge and resources.
2. Create a supportive school environment: Creating a supportive school culture is vital. Schools can form student support programs where responsible students are trained to provide help to their peers. Encouraging students to speak about mental health through clubs and school-wide events can build a sense of community and understanding.
3. Incorporating time for wellness activities: Schools should incorporate it within the week for students to take break and do a stress-relieving activity. For example, writing down all of the things that are bothering them, scrunching it up and throwing int in the bin or creating a bucket list which they would like to achieve, Through this, students can learn to manage their emotions and actively maintain.

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

Leeds as a city should: 

1. Introduce more safe spaces and advertise the existing ones better so that individuals can access mental health support. These centres can provide support groups and workshops to reduce isolation and build resilience.
2. Promote Mental Health Awareness: Launch city-wide campaigns to help people, understand mental health issues and educate the public about recognizing signs of mental illness. Implement mental health education programs in the city to equip people with the knowledge and skills to manage their mental well-being and support others.
3. Create a celebration around mental wellbeing in Leeds: There should be a day where students dedicate the entire day to celebrating mental health and taking a break from the stresses of life (e.g. exams, education etc) and clearing their minds by taking part in a range of mindful activities.

Micah's manifesto

Issue: Mental health and wellbeing 

This issue is important as people need to have quiet time to look after their mental health and reflect. I think this is an issue where people can be struggling and they don't always have someone they can go to, to talk with. As a school, community, and city, I think this needs changing. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

Schools could: 

1. Make sure the Thrive room is always available and isn't used for anything else (Thrive is a room in my school that you can go to if you aren't having the best day, and to relax or calm down - I think every school should have a space like this).
2. School need to teach children regularly how to look after their mental health for the future and give them ideas for how to do this. They should have time in lessons to practise these ideas as well, like breathing exercises or listening to quiet music.
3. Have a time every week where everyone in class writes down how they are feeling and/or something that they are worried about. They could put these things in the class worry box and the teacher could read them in private and see if anyone needs some help with their mental health.

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

Leeds as a city could: 

1. Make more youth groups where people can just relax and talk to others like them. It is a lot easier to share feelings this way, since people might be struggling and no one knows.
2. Train parents to help their children when they are struggling with their mental health. This could be done by having meetings run by people who understand mental health, like a counsellor, and leaflets with helpful information. It would be good for parents to practise looking after their own mental health too.
3. Make designated areas for children to exercise without being at risk, and have equipment provided for this, for example - bicycles, roller skates/blades, skateboards. When they do this, it could be outside in nature too, as this make people feel better and thankful.

Summary

We already do a lot as a city, but we can do more to help this situation, and it is always good to improve. 

Esosa's manifesto

Issue: Mental health and wellbeing 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Have a "Positive Thoughts" day where we say positive sentences to each other – we could do a day every half term – this would boost everyone's happiness and those with mental health problems may feel like they can talk to someone 

2. Have a place to go to in school to be able to "Relax and chat", inside or outside, we could decorate a space or a bench in a calm and safe way, and have chance to go there with permission to be able to talk to an adult of our choice or take a friend, this can have some calming music, books and nice smelling things  

3. We could work the Mental Health Leads in school and with local groups such as D-Side to arrange groups to come into school and explain the issues with mental health and give us ideas on how to help ourselves by doing small group work and helping us to understand the language and how we can spot issues and give advice to other children who may need it. 

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Encourage groups of schools to have children ambassadors that can create resources and packs, share these and do lessons about mental health by children for children including introducing an annual Leeds Positive Thoughts Day where schools could enter a competition in the first year to create the logo and then each year to create a yearly badge for all to wear to promote the Positive Thoughts Day helping children and staff to remind them to be positive. This day could be during the annual Mental Health Week. 

2. In the future, for all schools to have a trained counsellor or access to a counsellor for children to be able to book into if they have any problems they want to speak to or roll out and create their own "Relax and chat" spaces around schools, in Leeds whether this be a bench or an area for lonely/vulnerable people. 

3. Promote local youth therapy places and have these displayed in schools so we know where to go and is free for primary school children or a small cost to families so that everyone can access it. 

Summary

If Mental Health is tackled early through therapy, talking and understanding the issues, then we can help Leeds to have an improved, positive future. 

Nina's manifesto

Issue: Safe spaces to play and have fun 

If I was Leeds Children's Mayor, I would focus on creating more safe places for children to play and have fun. 

In my opinion there is not enough playgrounds in Leeds and small towns like Garforth. This is a problem for many families. According to the data that I researched, there are 160 playgrounds in Leeds and with a population of 800,000, this means approximately 5,000 people share each park. 

Another problem is a lot of parks are out-dated and children find them boring. As a result, instead of playing outside with their friends, they stay inside, which is an unhealthy lifestyle.

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Raise money for more play equipment: I think that it is a good idea for children to raise money to buy new play equipment. This could be through bake sales or non-uniform days. Each class could have its own box and they would choose which toys and equipment is bought. They are responsible for taking care of the resources. 

2. Visit local playgrounds: I would like to visit the playgrounds nearby with children from my school to compare what is good about them and what could be improved. We would ask the opinions of children throughout school to make sure that the playgrounds are fun for everyone. 

3. More afterschool sports clubs: I don't think that my school offers enough afterschool sports clubs. Many children would like the chance to try basketball, cricket or table tennis which are not taught in P.E This would also encourage children to get moving.
   

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Healthy eating competition between schools: Schools across Leeds could compete to become Leeds healthiest school. We could give students small booklets to record the healthy foods that they have eaten each week. The healthier foods that they eat, the more points will be awarded. Each term, the winning school will be announced and given money to buy new play equipment. 

2. Bike paths: In Garforth, the town in which I live in, there are hardly any bike paths. Adding more bike paths will be beneficial for children as it will lower the amount of screen time. It will also improve their mental health by exercising and access to fresh air. 

3. Improving playgrounds: after visiting the playgrounds within my local area, I will write a report to share with the council. It will be their responsibility to make affordable changes to ensure that children have a safe place to play and have fun. Improvements may include creating sensory gardens, repainting floor games such as hopscotch and general maintenance of play equipment.
   

Summary

Voting for me will make me overjoyed and help create safe places to play and have fun. My idea will solve many problems within Leeds, making sure that children won't be bored.

Neave's manifesto

Issue: Expressing views and involved in decisions 

I believe that all children should get to express their views no matter what school they go to or community they come from. Children are the future of our wonderful world and that includes our wonderful city, Leeds as well. Decisions by adults will affect our children's futures and whilst we respect that adults try to have our best interests at heart, they don't always know what young people need. I believe this is why the Leeds Children's Mayor exists, so that we, the young people Leeds have a voice and impact on our future. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Daily Circle Times: which our school has already benefitted from this year. There is always a theme that guides the children, where they can openly voice their opinions and views. It also gives children a chance to celebrate the positives that are already happening and a chance to spend time listening to each other. My peers and I feel that this grows our positive mindsets and understanding of each other. 

2. A Day with our Local Councillor/s: where a local councillor will visit our school for the day, to work with children in class, and to understand what they would like to happen in their local community and in the wider city of Leeds. The school council would also be involved in some decision making. This would be once every school term. 

3. A chance to vote: even though we have school councillors who already help make decisions. Just like our adults can vote for local MPs and councillors and can attend surgeries to express their views, we should be able to do this too, especially in our school setting. I think we can achieve this by having issues and ideas to vote on in school, at least once every half term.
   

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. A chance to vote on city-wide issues: which is just as important as voting for things in school. I believe that young people should not only have their views considered, which can be achieved through my other ideas, but also have the opportunity to vote on decisions that will affect their lives within our city. 

2. A Day with the Local Councillor/s in school: which I feel will not only be successful in my own school but across the city of Leeds. It a chance for all young people across the city to have an equal opportunity to express their views and be involved in making decisions. This would be once a school term and I would liaise with our city councillors and the schools of Leeds to achieve this. 

3. Child Friendly MP and Local Council Surgeries: where again, I would liaise with the local politicians to organise drop-in surgeries centred around children. This is an opportunity for young people to feel empowered and have a platform to express their views and most of all, be heard. This would require some planning which I already have some great ideas for.
   

Summary

Connecting young people and adults together in the decision-making processes of our city is vitally important. I will achieve this as your Leeds Children's Mayor. 

Jasmin's manifesto

Issue: Diversity, bullying and discrimination 

The issue I am passionate about is diversity, bullying and discrimination because Leeds is a very diverse city with a variety of cultures, races, religions, and communities to name a few. Coming from a diverse background, I have witnessed discrimination and from School Wellbeing report 2022/23 there were 6250 Year 5 & 6 children in Leeds suffered some kind of discrimination and bullying which has left them to feel unsafe and disrespected. Every child and young person deserve to feel safe, valued and always respected, to maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing. This is an important issue that requires immediate attention. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Hold parents' evenings to raise awareness around diversity, bullying and discrimination each term. In these sessions there will be a clearer discussion on what the school policies and procedures are around addressing diversity, bullying and discrimination as well as what actions are taken if anyone does not follow them. 

2. Do culture week where children, parents and every school staff bring and shares food or things that represent their culture or background. Also, there will be organised workshops and activities that include an input from parents and the school community on diversity and inclusion. One which include an anti-bullying workshop to educate everyone on the smallest detail on what is an unacceptable act (especially from a general perspective and cultural background). 

3. As Children's Mayor, I am not hoping for anyone to fall victim of the above, however I will work with my school to put measures in place to create a safe space for those who are affected by bullying and discrimination. I will work with the school counsellor or safeguarding team to further support to victims of bullying and discrimination while providing privacy and confidentiality for these children. 

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Engage in and arrange workshops for students and the community to talk to them about the issue and what they can do, this would include the counsellors and safeguarding team sharing their policies and procedures relating to the topics discussed. 

2. Create resource packs for schools and the community to help them celebrate National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day to raise more awareness about bullying. These packs will include some questionnaires and online and physical feedback forms which will be used to collect some more data for review by my civic team. 

3. Organise and support festivals and events in communities that promote inclusion and celebrates diversity and encourage more education around the issue to bring awareness to the entire city. 

Summary

In summary, I would fight for inclusivity and diversity for all, create a safe place and build a respected community. Vote Inclusivity for Leeds. Vote Jasmin!

Penny's manifesto

Issue: Diversity, bullying and discrimination 

When children get bullied, told they can't do something or get spoken to a bit patronisingly because of their differences, it makes them feel like less of a person than the person who's bullying or discriminating against them. I am more aware of as I have experienced this due to my disability. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Get children in school to design awareness posters for public places so that people will be more cautious of not treating people with differences badly because of a lack of understanding. 

2. More assemblies where children with differences can speak up and share their point of view so that children feel more comfortable with talking about these issues and are aware of how to interact with a bigger variety of people. 

3. A wider range of training for school staff members about how to interact with different children so that when the staff members talk to those different children, the children feel more comfortable.
   

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Organise yearly events in Leeds City Centre that celebrate differences and take time to appreciate what a diverse world we live in so that people realise how lucky we are to be so diverse. 

2. Put support groups in place across Leeds that not only talk about the positives about having differences but also talk about the negatives and how to adapt the way we do those challenges so that other people can understand that it's okay if different people do things differently. 

3. Arrange award nights annually where people within organisations that work with children who have diverse backgrounds can receive awards for good inclusion so that it encourages people to do better at treating all children equally.
   

Summary

In summary, I will highlight differences as being a good thing so all children in Leeds get treated equally.

Bisade's manifesto

Issue: Climate change 

This manifesto is about littering in Leeds and its environment. I know there is an adequate amount of litter in other countries, but let's spotlight Leeds. I discovered that "house-holders who leave their bins out must pay a fine of almost 14 to 15 thousand pounds". I would stop litter endangerment; this doesn't also endanger the environment and plants; it can also harm the ecosystem. The increase in littering and illegal dumping contributes to air, land, and ocean pollution. This is critical because litter can be composed of flammable material that could immediately be a hazard of flames, causing wildfires. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. Recycle – have bins for different materials (paper, plastic, cardboard, etc). Educate staff and students on recycling. Making recycling more fun instead of boring; giving "Eco-Friendly talks" to the pupils and workers on how recycling can affect mother nature, animals, the planet, and us. 

2. Picking some garbage up through community efforts. such as: Getting all of the school to think about the environment. we should feel encouraged to contribute to our school recycling efforts. we should set up school recycling composting scheme; use more recycling bins - for particular materials - and ensure staff are trained and involved to help teach children about the side effects of litter 

3. And most importantly do not litter- people should be encouraged to recycle through different advertising campaigns. Having each pupil from each class design a poster/leaflet to encourage recycling in the school. The purpose of the poster is to acknowledge how household and school waste and how it should be disposed properly in a friendly, encouraging, and understanding matter.
   

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Stop littering because before there was no litter but now we think we don't have consequences but we do in the end. 

2. Inform people. We may think we are not harming anything but over time we will see the damage we caused if we don't take action immediately. 

3. Stop polluting and recycle. we should stop and think about who we live on.
   

Summary

I think teachers should engage students in environmental education in interactive games like playing nature bingo, making art of nature, science experiments, garden time, learning animals and their habitat, actions of helping the environment, and many more. This can all so be shown by inviting experts to teach us pupils. If we stop pollution we can make a great change instead of failure. 

In summary, saving the planet is a key thing, not a maybe or "we could but…" it is something worldwide that should stop now. 

Atticus's manifesto

Issue: Poverty 

Hi, my name is Atticus and I am going for Leeds Children's Mayor. I know that poverty is a very big problem and you do too. It always pains me to go to the shops and see homeless person after homeless person just sitting there. I really want to do something about this, I really want us to do something about this. You see, over 22% of children in Leeds are living in poverty right this very moment, that's one in 5 people. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. As a school we can do bun sales or ice cream sales so we can raise money for the poor and give the leftover food away to food banks.
2. We could do a special assembly to raise awareness about poverty.
3. As a school we can collectively donate food and gifts to food banks so they can be given to children without anything. We could go on trips giving out food to the homeless and so much more.

Describe things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. As a city we could raise money to turn unused houses into cheap apartments affordable for poor people. Yes, they may not be much but at least they'll be warm, safe and dry. Imagine living in fear of being robbed overnight every night - a cosy flat would mean the world to someone and help them be safe. It might feel like an impossible dream but together we can make it a reality.
2. If you live in poverty you might not be able to go to your friend's party or go on a trip because you don't have the money. This really is a big problem.

Summary

Vote Atticus for Leeds Children's Mayor. Together we can make this world good again. 

Victoria's manifesto

Issue: Physical activity 

I was Leeds children's mayor, I would raise awareness of the importance of physical activity for children and young people. Being active can help everyone gain a positive mindset and stay healthy. It helps our brains to stay engaged and focused. Currently, 53% of children and young people in England don't get the amount of exercise they need. It's important that we help children now so that the next few generations can have that good mindset that we want and need. 1 am committed to help making Leeds a more active and healthier city. 

Describe three things you and your school could do to tackle this issue

1. A School Olympics: Exercise is key for a healthy community! I will work with my school to organise a competition like the Olympics. This event starts in my school, and then shown to other schools. I will help them replicate my idea. The goal is to create the Leeds Kids Olympic Games. All children can participate, competing in many different sports. While the Games are taking place, we will have a health advisor doing health checks and health awareness campaigns for the parents. 

2. Five-minute exercise videos: 1 want children to move! I will create a brilliant exercise program with five-minute videos about exercise and healthy habits, from kids to kids. This will inspire children to exercise, not just at school but at home, and to keep a healthy lifestyle! These videos will be shared with all children in my school. 

3. Sports campaign: I want to organise a sports campaign where children can learn and show their knowledge, about the benefits for everyone of physical activity, to parents and carers. This can be delivered at the same time as our Sports Day and other major sports events happening in Leeds, offering parallel activities raising awareness of the importance of physical activity.
   

Describe three things Leeds as a city could do to tackle this issue

1. Create a Sports Passport: I want to organise a Summer Physical Activity Challenge! Similar to the Summer Reading Challenge, I will work with Leeds Libraries to create a summer physical activity challenge and its passport to encourage younger ones to exercise daily and stay away from too much screen time. The Sports Passport will help children keep track of their exercise's habits and act as a motivating factor for keeping fit. The children who complete their booklets, will get them stamped and will receive a prise. 

2. Improve Park Facilities: I want to work with the City Council to improve and create more multi-use games areas and outdoor gym equipment in our parks. With better infrastructures in the parks, we can also promote free events that use those facilities, like local tournaments or classes. 

3. Promote and organise the Leeds Kids Olympic Games: I will work with Leeds City Council to organise the Leeds Kids Olympics and inspire other cities across the UK to do the same. 

Summary

In summary, I will organise the Leeds Kids Olympic Games, implement sports passports and improve our parks' facilities. Let's make Leeds a more active and happier city!