Under 18? Evie wants your vote!

Evie Cooke, from just over the border in Tingley, has been in touch about her bid to be the next Leeds Children’s Mayor.

Evie Cooke on the campaign trail with Cllrs Karen Renshaw, Ben Garner, and Lisa Mulherin

Children in Year 5 – from 50 schools all over the city – submitted low- or no-cost ideas for Leeds City Council, to benefit the children of Leeds. Evie is one of 12 to have been short-listed, and explained her idea as follows:

“In summary, my idea is to create free to use swap-boxes for children’s books, to be hosted in places like school playgrounds, the gardens of generous families, or just anywhere a volunteer is happy to look after a little library! I love to read, and think it’s important that all children should have free access to books whenever they might like. Young artists could also help decorate the bookcases to showcase their talents!

“So far, to help my campaign, I’ve visited my local MPs to ask for ideas, created flyers and posters to distribute around my local area, and plan to do a tour of south Leeds libraries, where they will be setting up ballot boxes for children to vote in person! My school, Westerton Primary, will also help promote my idea when we return from summer holidays.”

You can read Evie’s manifesto in full here.

If you are aged 18 or under, and live or go to school/college in Leeds, you can vote online here or at your local library. Voting is open until Wednesday 19 September.