Langholm teenager is elected to parliament

Cameron is keen to start his fledgling parliamentary career

A LANGHOLM youth councillor has been elected a
Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament after a vacancy came up unexpectedly.
Cameron Greer, 15, who lives in Claygate and attends Langholm Academy, was representing Annandale East and Eskdale on the Youth Council but will now be one of Dumfries and Galloway’s MSYPs.
As a councillor, Cameron took part in the first joint meeting between the local authority and youth council at The Bridge in Dumfries recently.
The meeting brought together elected members, youth councillors and MSYPs to develop actions which would improve opportunities for young people.
Members were split into three groups based on the council’s main service committees: economy and resources; education and learning; and communities.
Eight actions were proposed and agreed by both organisations and a report on their progress will go to full council in June.
These actions related to regional development projects and youth participation, access to community resources and education and training.
The meeting marked a significant moment for the council and showed the commitment to improving the way in which young people are meaningfully involved and heard in decision-making.
Collaborative
Councillor Elaine Murray, council leader, said: “We’re proud to be one of only a handful of Scottish councils to make this step towards a more collaborative approach to decision-making with young people.”
Cameron told the E&L
Advertiser he was elected to the youth council last April and spent a few months training, starting his role in September.
He said: “We did postcard consultations with young people in the ward and made an action plan stating what we were going to do for the rest of the term.
“We met Duncan Elliott of Xcel about the youth forum he is starting and began an eco-group at the academy.
“Number one issue in the consultation was how to lower our carbon footprint; two was young people’s mental health; and three was increase the number of free or cheap activities in the ward.
“That’s the action plan we’ll focus on for the rest of the year. We’ll support the academy’s eco-group and see how the community and school can reduce their environmental impact.
“We’ll identify all the mental health services which support young people, promote those services and show them where they can get help.
“To meet the need for activities we’re working with the youth work partnership and talking to Xcel about putting on more activities for teenagers, not just the younger kids.”
Last week one MSYP vacancy came up and Cameron put himself forward, along with three others.
He said: “We each gave a speech to the youth council and they voted. I won and I’m feeling ecstatic about it.”
Cameron is now one of two Dumfriesshire representatives. His first meeting as an MSYP is on March 20 and 21 and this is followed by another on Orkney in July.
There are now two Youth Council vacancies in Annandale East and Eskdale.