Scottish Youth Parliament Elections 2013 Vote online between 4 March and 14 March 2013 for the South Ayrshire Candidates
Ayr constituency
Abbie Hamilton My name is Abbie Hamilton and I am a 15 year old pupil at Kyle Academy. I am standing for equality, I am standing for equality in general but I am going to focus on areas that are very relevant to young people, so I am focusing on gender, race, sexuality and mental and physical disabilities. Ever since I was young I have had an interest in politics and now I am older I am determined to become a member of the Scottish youth parliament and make a difference, to let young people have a voice in society.
Ben Lomako
One issue that is important to all young people is their education. If I was elected in, I would bring forward the point of young people all being given the chance and encouragement to become more active. One other issue I would like to raise is the importance of equality and all young people having a fair shot at anything they would like to achieve. These are just a few issues I would bring forward in being elected into the ' Scottish Youth Parliament'. I think solving these issues would be beneficial for us young people in our education and everyday life.
Ben Lomako • •
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Hello, my name is Ben Lomako and I attend Prestwick Academy. When I first heard of the 'Scottish Youth Parliament' I pursued it as an opportunity for young people like myself to raise issues important to us. One issue that is important to all young people is their education. I think we should be given more choice and variety in the subjects we study. Us young people should be asked what subjects or topics we would like to be included in the course. If I was elected in, I would bring forward the point of young people all being given the chance and encouragement to become more active. This can include building a recreation ground with different sporting facilities or an indoor sports stadium. This is important for the health of all young people in Scotland. One other issues I would like to raise is the importance of equality and all young people having a fair shot at anything they would like to achieve. In young people's society, there is still the big issue of bullying. This can depend on a person’s race, colour or even sexuality. This is an issue which should be taken seriously and should be tackled. These are just a few issues I would bring forward in being elected into the ' Scottish Youth Parliament'. I think solving these issues would be beneficial for us young people in our education and everyday life.
Caitlyn McClue If I get elected as a MSYP I will fight for everything that I believe in and also what YOU believe in. I will try my best to make sure your voice is heard and if you have an issues I will always be open to new ideas that I can offer wither they need changing or just need improved upon.
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The first point is the serious lack of supplies and resources in our classrooms. Have you all noticed the lack of glue and paint in the art department? The faded colouring and chewed colouring pens in every department and the dodgy calculators in Maths? You don’t know it, but this affects our daily education. Why don’t we have an iPad for each pupil in their school like they have in Aberdeenshire primary schools? Even if we shared them with S2s? It would be a great way of saving tens of thousands of pounds in paper and helping save our planet. Buying iPads in bulk saves a fortune. If Glasgow City Councillors can have them, so can we. I would like to make is that there should be more gym or fitness facilities for under 16’s instead of just “teen fit” sessions, this is because not every has enough confidence in their bodies or would just rather do it themselves. Trampoline centres are a great a and fun way to keep fit, America has lots of these centres, so why can’t we? These buildings have trampolines everywhere, all around the floor and the walls as well so you can just bounce off anything! Study leave for our prelims are been taken away from us as part of this new curriculum. This could affect our education in terms of classes and which grade you will get. It will also affect your final exams if you do badly in your prelims. Also, teachers will not give you lots of study periods in class as you should be studying in your free time, but for young people who look after relatives or do sports or clubs, will find it incredibly difficult. I would also like to address the terrible lack of part-time jobs for teenagers. We all know the cost of new clothes, shoes and music and there’s just a woeful lack of places where we can earn some cash. The age restriction on Under 16s is a bit too harsh – I want to lobby the Scottish Government to be more flexible. Putting the retirement age up is shocking as there are not as many jobs that old people can do as a result of their age. There’s just no way you could have a 68-year-old nurse working on a Saturday night in A&E, dealing with violent, injured people. Where’s the sense in that?
Chloe Smith I believe that the SYP is an amazing opportunity to stand up and be heard and make changes. Far more time should be given more practice tests and better exam preparation to calm our nerves through special classes. There should be far better technology in classes – how can you have a £24million secondary school and not one room of 30 computers? Most of all, I strongly believe there should be more dyslexia support and awareness in schools, as most pupils are too afraid to stand up and ask for help themselves!
Chloe Smith My Name is Chloe Smith I am a representative from Prestwick Academy. I believe that the SYP is an amazing opportunity to stand up and be heard and make changes .There are many changes I would like to have the chance to make. The main changes I would like to make are within the schools across Scotland to make them the best they possibly can be. I Propose: • That there should be more dyslexia support and awareness in schools, most pupils are too afraid to stand up and ask for help themselves! • Technology being used to type up essays and reports etc instead of pen and paper its better for the environment as well! A lot of pupils find it easier • Pupils should be given more practice tests and better preparation it would calm nerves I propose support for learning periods can be used for this. There are so many more proposals I would like to make if given the chance thank you.
Kai Green If I am elected as a member of the Scottish youth parliament I will do all in my power to improve the ability of the youth of Ayr to change the town. I believe that as the future of Ayr we need to strive to make it a better place before it is to late. we are the youth of Ayr and this town is as much ours as anyone else's.
Kai Green
Kirsty McCahill As a pupil of Belmont Academy, I care about the issues relevant to young people. I believe in honesty, equality and diversity and I am driven by the need to make a difference for the young people of Scotland. Being individual is important to me, and every individual counts. I stand as a candidate who will aim to ensure that every young person in South Ayrshire is heard nationally, and equally. I am proud of my country and with your input; we can aim to make it even better. Together.
Mason Rowan
I will do my best to create more opportunities in sports and activities in my area for people of all ages. I will start a campaign that will provide free non-smoking kits for those who want it as smoking is very common, as well as unwanted, in my area. I will work on getting people with few qualifications into college/university schemes to try and give them some form of higher education. I will highlight the image of my area and make it more appealing for businesses and tourists alike. I will create more opportunities for the elderly as opposed to them wasting their money in pubs which is not always a good thing for them. I will try and rebuild the "community spirit" which my area has been lacking in recent years.
Mason Rowan •I will do my best to create more opportunities in sports and activities in my area for people of all ages. •I will start a campaign that will provide free non-smoking kits for those who want it as smoking is very common, as well as unwanted, in my area. •I will work on getting people with few qualifications into college/university schemes to try and give them some form of higher education. •I will highlight the image of my area and make it more appealing for businesses and tourists alike. •I will create more opportunities for the elderly as opposed to them wasting their money in pubs which is not always a good thing for them. •I will try and rebuild the "community spirit" which my area has been lacking in recent years.
Carrick, Cumnock and Doonvalley Constituency
Maria McGough I am Maria McGough, and I am committed to being a voice for young people in South Ayrshire. My many years of experience as Chairperson of South Ayrshire Youth Forum has prepared me to be an effective MSYP, who would listen and take action, while concentrating on my five issues – tackling youth unemployment and providing work experience opportunities for all ages, widening access to the arts for young people from all financial backgrounds and circumstances, increased education on democracy and citizenship to support the votes at 16 campaign, cheaper and more frequent public transport and finally, continued free further education.
Kate Fleming
My main interests are music, art and sports, and coming from a rural area I feel that I've missed out on many of the opportunities that people from cities or larger towns get. My main focus is to try and help all young people have the same chances; including the chance to try out different sports, meet other people with similar interests and get access to bigger towns that have the facilities for these things. I'm an optimistic person with an outward approach to life and believe it's possible to work to change things for young people.
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I want to be part of the Scottish Youth Parliament because I would like the chance to stand up and speak out about the issues that affect teenagers in my local community. It is one thing to sit with your friends and complain about what you'd like changed, but it's a different thing to actually try to get something done about it. I feel like there's so many things that people miss out on simply by not trying to get them and I don't want to be one of those people. I believe I would be a good representative because I am not afraid to stand up and say what I think, or to disagree with something that I think is wrong. At the same time, I'm good at listening to other people's point of view, which means I could try to help people with things, even if I don't personally have the same level of concern as they have. I'm always keen to meet new people and hear about what matters to them. Coming from Maybole, the only way I can get to gigs to see my favourite bands is to travel to Glasgow. To get there, I have to rely on public transport or my parents taking me there, which is either expensive or inconvenient for them. I think experiencing live music and drama is an important life experience, and one of the main things that I would like for youths who live in areas like me is the chance to access them. This could be achieved through improved transport or organising for more events locally.
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I also think that teenagers don't get as much of an opportunity as they should to be able to perform live music. Anyone who wants to have a career in music needs as much practise in front of a crowd as possible, and for many the only way to do that is by performing in a school show. I would try my best to organise other things in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley area so that people can showcase their talents and enjoy and experience the entertainment industry. Art is an important part of my life, and it's what I plan to study after school, so naturally I want to meet as many people as I can who have the same interests. Living in a small town, I find this hard to do, as there is only a limited amount of people at my school with the same interest in art as I have. I am a member of my local Young Arts group, but it's mainly focussed on younger children. If I was elected I would try to organise a group for teenagers and young adults who have a genuine interest in art, so that they can explore and practice artistic styles and mediums and encourage each other. I realise that not everyone is interested in art, but feel that it would be a beneficial thing to organise local groups for various different interests, so that people have that opportunity to develop their talents, or simply to express and share their passions. At my school, the main organised sports are team games. I am part of the girl's football team, however, there is very little interest or support for it. I also used to be part of my local swimming club, and Maybole has a golf course which anyone can pay to use. However, there is a huge variety of sports which teenagers in rural areas don't have access to. Many people complain about how little exercise teenagers do, but I feel that to encourage youths to participate in sports then they need to have more choice, rather than being forced into a sport they may not be interested in. For example, to get the opportunity to play basketball, I would have to go to a different town, and even then it would be difficult to find a team for girls. Individual sports such as tennis or athletics are not well catered for in the smaller towns and villages. One of my main priorities would be to help teenagers get the chance to try out new sports, whether it involves providing transportation to other places or to encourage links between different schools in order to help everyone get the same opportunities.