Barnet Youth Ambassadors and UK Youth Parliament Members with The Worshipful The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich
Young people across Barnet have voted to elect their Members of UK Youth Parliament and Barnet Youth Ambassadors for the 2026 - 2028 term.
Barnet’s newest Members of Youth Parliament are:
- Joseph Kennedy, age 13
- Melika Bennett, age16
- Samia Bharmal, age 16
Barnet’s newest Youth Ambassadors are:
- Avi Aggarwal, age 15
- Safiyah Uddin, age 15
The elected school pupils will represent their peers at the national and local levels during their two-year term.
24 young people aged between 11 - 16 stood in the elections. There were 4,330 votes cast, with 10 schools taking part in the elections.
The results were announced at a special ceremony yesterday (25 March) evening at Hendon Town Hall.
The UK Youth Parliament is made up of more than 300 elected young people aged between 11 - 18 years, and provides opportunities to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning. This includes an annual sitting it the House of Commons where Members of Youth Parliament vote on their national priority campaigns.
Barnet’s Youth Ambassadors take part in the policy making process at a local level, including influencing the work of Barnet Council and ensuring the voices of young people are heard when decisions are made.
The night was also a chance to thank the outgoing youth representatives for 2024 -2026, Members of Youth Parliament Connor Gill and Freddie Atkinson and Youth Ambassadors Eleanor Sidnick and Sylvia Bega.
Connor Gill said: “It’s such a great experience and you meet so many new and different people from across the UK. I’ve had some amazing memories as youth MP being able to speak at the dispatch box in parliament twice and even representing London. These are experiences that will stay with me for my whole life and I’m so grateful for.”
Freddie Atkinson said: “It’s made me realise how much I’ve achieved from standing on a manifesto commitment, to diversifying the UK PSHE curriculum, taking part in our annual sittings and to successfully passing a motion within the council regarding the council finances.”
Eleanor Sidnick said: “One of my favourite moments of being a youth ambassador is seeing how my voice can actually lead to real change. It’s been an inspiring thing to be a part of where my voice genuinely matters.”
Sylvia Bega said: “Over the past two years I’ve learnt that it’s not embarrassing to speak out on the things you truly believe in, and that everyone’s attributions can make an impact, so you must always take them into consideration. I feel like I’ve emotionally grown and taught myself to stand out instead of blend in.”
The Worshipful The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich, said: “I would like to congratulate the newly elected Members of Youth Parliament and Youth Ambassadors.
“Barnet’s young people have an important stake and say in how we plan and make decisions as a council, and as a borough, we will continue to ensure we develop a culture of youth participation, so that Barnet’s children and young people have an opportunity to have their voices heard and acted on”.
ENDS