Young People in Highland are asked to stand up for what they believe in

Young people from the Highlands are being asked by the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) to stand up for what they believe in and make a difference in their communities by standing as a candidate in the March 2011 Youth Parliament elections.

The Scottish Youth Parliament is a national organisation which provides young people aged 14-25 with a platform to represent young people across Scotland and an opportunity to influence politicians and formal decision makers.  The Parliament is looking for its next group of youth activists from across the nation.

In the Highlands there are 3 constituencies - Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn; Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch with 2 members per constituency.

Highland Youth Convener Gemma Mackintosh said:  “If you are willing and have the time and commitment to make a difference then the SYP is a great opportunity. Young people can really make a difference in there community through SYP and also allows them to gain confidence and speak out.”

Anyone aged 14-25 can either stand as a candidate in the elections, or vote in March.

For the first time the SYP will be bringing together all elections across Scotland into one nationwide process, the nomination system has now been launched and available at http://www.syp.org.uk/get-involved/elections/highland.htm

Anyone interested is being asked to go to online and complete an application form by 21st January 2011. There will then be a period of canvassing by the candidates followed by the online elections from 14th – 25th March 2011.