Past Mayors

Wilf: 2005 - 2006

In March 2007, Former Young Mayor of Lewisham Wilf Petherbridge and former MP Oona King led a delegation of young people dressed in hoodies to 11 Downing Street and presented Chancellor Gordon Brown with a report calling for more resources for young people.

The Chancellor accepted the interim findings of the Make Space Youth Review, which is intended to influence the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, due to be published in June 2007.

The year-long inquiry, co-chaired by Wilf Petherbridge and Oona King consulted with 7000 young people across the UK to find out what life was like for a teenager today.

Young people were asked what they wanted from the Government and what services they needed to have the most healthy, fulfilling and exciting teenage years.

The interim findings revealed that young people need a centre or space of their own, in their local communities, that offer fun activities with support from adults.

The report said having this resource would mean fewer young people wandering the streets and getting into trouble.

The report also found that young people wanted a say in their local communities and to be involved in decision-making and recommended a system of Young Mayors backed by Youth Parliaments in every area.

Former Young Mayor of Lewisham, Wilf Petherbridge said: “We’re very fortunate in Lewisham to have successful and effective initiatives including the Young Mayor programme. It really encourages young people in the Borough to get involved in their local community, and gives young people an influential voice. This is part of what we are asking from Government, as well as places to go and things to do.

“The Make Space Youth Review has given young people across the UK an opportunity to have their say. Now we’re asking the Government to listen and to act on what’s been said.”

from a Lewisham council press release

Wilf's Blog

"The past few months have been quite busy, with my GCSE mocks coming up I have had to fit the Young Mayor stuff into quite a busy schedule, and I have begun to really feel the full responsibility of what the project has brought.

I have been invited to quite a few events recently, on Monday 26th February; I went to the Houses of Parliament for an event looking at local democracy, which was incredibly exciting. We picked up our name tags and walked into a very swish marquee with white drapes and chandeliers. I was handed an orange juice and there were people going around handing out tiny helpings of fish and chips, the fish was no bigger than a two pound coin! Anyway, I had been told that I would have to say a few words about local democracy and youth.  Now you have to understand that although I play in front of crowds of 100+ people, nothing could have prepared me for speaking in front of a load of politicians. Once that gruelling part of the event was over, I had my photograph taken with some of the other speakers and I then had a chance to "network" (a largely used word I have learned since October, to network is to float about with a permanent smile on ones face, shaking hands, exchanging cards with all those you are introduced to, trying your hardest to remember the names of those you have just met)

I talked to MPs Ed Miliband, Charles Hendry and Sarah Teather, who all also made speeches, they all had very helpful, positive and reassuring things to say, mainly how to get the youth involved in democracy and their local government.

I was also invited to speak at a teachers’ conference on Thursday 23rd February. A cab picked Jo and me up from my house at 8 30am. Me not having had any breakfast, Jo gave me a flapjack which she was going to have for her lunch, (they know how to look after me!) the cab was great; the drivers’ satellite navigator turned into a TV whenever he stopped.

When we arrived we drove past a massive mansion, me thinking that this would be where it was going to be held, I began to get exited, but as I said, we drove past the mansion and stopped at a shabby grey old building. Having gone inside I noted how the building looked and smelt like a hotel. We were led into a small corridor with two coffee machines, only one of which was working. We gave our names, collected our name tags (i have begun to start a small collection)

I was greeted by a woman called Sarah, she took us into a small room to discuss what I would be saying. But all she seemed to say was how much of a "perfect student" I was and that my position was some sort of target for other young people to reach. Don't get me wrong, I love having people kiss my ass, but not when it just puts down other young people.

So I went and sat down at the front of the room, and watched as all of the teachers came in. When the class was settled, Sarah began to introduce what the day was about, she then continued by introducing me. (Cue the ass kissing) I began to get quite frustrated by how she was portraying me. She said that I was going to tell the room how I grew up to be such an achiever, I was applauded up and I stood their with red cheeks, I began to speak while the room hung on my every word I said how teachers should engage the whole classroom and not just those whom get involved e.g. attempt to make contact with the kid at the back who you thought was lost, make it interesting to them too and you will find that you will get more than one point of view, I also said that I was just one who enjoyed getting involved and just because I got involved in the young mayor project, this does not make me the "perfect student". I finished and Sarah thanked me, she began to introduce the first activity and she introduced it as if she had not listened to a word I had just said. She wanted the class to describe the "perfect student" using post-it notes and an outline of a person.

I floated around the room looking at what people were writing. Some wrote one word answers, and some wrote whole essays. The short mindedness of some of these people really struck me, and I wondered, had they had ever come into contact with any young person?

Jo, Malcolm and I left after the first task, we sat down at a table and nibbled on the really nice cookies which were laid out for us. Then a small mousy woman crept up behind us and asked us if we might go to visit some primary school kids who were going to lead a group later on. She led us into another room, which had about ten  7 - 11 year olds sat in a circle and one teacher. I sat down and realised that they had written out questions for me. Now you have to remember that these were 7 - 11 year olds, they asked me some of the most challenging questions I have been asked as Young Mayor, they beat The South London Press by far!

We took a few photos and left with grins on our faces, easily the highlight of the day.

Over all I am enjoying my time in this position and it is easily bringing some of the most bizarre moments I have experienced in a long time."

Cheers, Wilf

 

Manny: 2004 - 2005

This has easily been the weirdest year of my life in the most positive sense of the word weird. In all honesty I never expected to win the young mayor election, I was just interested in the idea and thought there was nothing to lose. I've never fully come to terms with the whole idea of being the young mayor, which I guess is alright seeing as I'm not young mayor anymore!

I gradually got more used to it thanks to a lot of people I'll mention later. I've really enjoyed seeing things gradually change and a few of the budget proposals realising. The cricket tournament was especially rewarding and much as it sounds cheesy it was amazing to see something I'd thought of randomly one day actually happening and people enjoying it.

I hope the same will happen for the band space idea, the community safety workshops, directory and website. And yes, that probably was just an excuse to list the ideas again but hey.

The media involvement in the year was quite strange I'll be honest. Certain parts of it were awesome: being photographed by David Bailey for The Guardian Weekend supplement, the massive picture in The Independent, the Children Now article where I was interviewed whilst pretending to be on study leave and they directly quoted me unlike all the others and of course the almost infamous Lewisham Life article.

However there were some fairly stupid things like the overuse of the word “dude” which I said I think once or twice ever in anything related to the young mayor, and an unnamed radio station that thought it was less important for me to visit a synagogue I'd been asked to visit by someone I had a lot of respect for than for me to do some crappy interview with Vanessa Feltz.

And breathing…

Sorry about that.

I've met a lot of really amazing people this year, Ken Livingstone to name one famous one but also a lot of totally normal people who spend their lives making other people's better in different ways. These meetings and brief conversations have meant a lot more to me than posing and smiling for pictures. Real people doing real things is what makes things happen.

I have nothing against photographers by the way.

Just photographs for the sake of photographs.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Yeah.

Anyway…

My main regret this year is that 1 out of 5 of the budget ideas has actually happened. It is true that they took time to talk over and sort out (some of this is still happening!) but I did lose about 6 months at the start of my time with the more…public side of the position. Not a major complaint at all but without meaning to sound really cheesy it would've been great to do some real hard work before doing the more nodding and smiling side of the job. I guess you learn from your mistakes.

Blimey, this is really longwinded isn't it?

But so much still to say…

Ah well, here goes.

I look forward to October, when the next young mayor election will take place. Not only will I be able to stand aside and say “that were me once that were” I'll also be able to run amok causing catastrophes in Lewisham.

Or in real life, I'll be able to see someone new take over the job with completely different ideas and their own interpretation of the idea of a young mayor. I almost hope that whoever gets in thinks that all my ideas were crap so I can see where I went wrong and so I can have a good old fashioned argument when I'm on their advisory group.

My only advice is as follows really. Make sure you really want to do the job and when you do it make sure that you're not drawn into too much stuff you don't want to do. I hope whoever you are that you enjoy your year and make Lewisham cooler than it already is.

I have a list of thank yous now.

Dennis Hunter, for making this year much more bearable than it might've been, Dee Martin, Malcolm Ball, Zoë, Alvin and anyone else I've forgotten from the wonderful Lewisham Youth Service for helping out in so many ways and for being nice normal people, Steve Bullock who came up with the idea of a young mayor in the first place and genuinely caring about young people in Lewisham, Aline, David, Amy, Katie, Elinor and everyone at The Campaign Company for looking after me this year and letting me write unintelligible entries like this on the website, Lewisham Council for being supportive and nice to me on the numerous occasions our paths have crossed, Camilla Dickson for being a very cool deputy, the Young Advisors who helped a lot with many things and always seemed to be there when needed, everyone at Bonus Pastor in April 2004 who helped me out with the whole campaigning shenanigans especially Dominic, Sean & Abdul for the ludicrous bodyguard on these days of campaign, similarly those who helped from Panther Tae Kwon Do in similar ways, everyone who voted for me (sorry!), everyone who voted at all for proving democracy works, anyone who cared about the young mayor thing at all, anyone who pretended to care because I was convinced anyway, my amazing girlfriend, all my friends for always being awesome and friendly (surprisingly), all my family for putting up with me and listening to my ten year answers to “how's the mayoral duties going?” and finally Maria for getting me interested in politics and being an awesome sister, Dad for all the help and Mum for telling me that I'd regret it if I didn't have a go – how right you were.

God that was cheesy.

But I've always wanted to do that.

As this is the last blog entry ever (by me) it's time for a list of albums to buy which is basically comprised of what I've been listening to recently or timeless classics:

Mesmerize – System Of A Down (saw them live on Friday, so so awesome

Master Of Puppets – Metallica (best album ever made)

Songs From An American Movie Pt.1 – Everclear

Scenes From A Memory – Dream Theater

Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge – My Chemical Romance

The Process Of Belief – Bad Religion

The Remote Part – Idlewild

The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths

Black Rose (A Rock Legend) – Thin Lizzy

Goosefair – China Drum And if you're just after some random stuff, listen to some Otis Redding, Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops or general Motown/Soul stuff you can find.

It's been great having this ranting space and I apologise for going on but this is the last one so why not eh?

And finally:

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” or in other words “Carpe Diem – Seize the Day”

Peace & Love,

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