How a children's mayor plans to keep kids healthy

Joe Smith, a pupil at Strawberry Fields Primary School, was elected this autumn as Leeds’ children’s mayor. His manifesto, entitled When It Comes To Keeping Kidz Active – Leeds Leads, pledged to create "kids zones" in public gyms. He saw off competition from nine other candidates, polling 3,000 online votes to become elected last month for a one-year term in office.

Joe’s idea is to install sections in gyms that contain equipment similar to the adults, but made especially for children. He also wants each piece of equipment to have interactive games built in to make exercise more fun.

"We were set the task of writing a manifesto as homework," Joe explains. "Mine was picked as best in the class, then picked to represent our school. On holiday in Dubai, there was an adult gym and a kids gym and I really enjoyed it. If it could work in the hotel, it could work for kids in Leeds."

Ian Cornick, resources and project manager in the council’s democratic services department, says: "We are trying to engender a realisation that children can make a difference and to bridge the gap between elected councillors and what is happening to young people in their communities."

This is the first year that Leeds will have a children’s mayor for the whole year. The position emerged out of an initiative called "mayor for a day", part of the council’s local democracy week aimed at secondary schools.

"As things progressed, we started to go into primary schools," says Cornick. "We have a resource pack for schools that focused on developing manifestos. But rather than leave it at that, we wanted to help young people achieve what it is they wanted to change."

Over the year, Joe will assist the city’s Lord Mayor with his engagements and has attended a ceremony to turn on the Leeds Christmas lights.

"I’m looking forward to all the experiences I’m going to have," Joe says. "I’m attending a full council meeting in January. Next week, the Lord Mayor is bringing me to school in his Limo and I’m judging a film competition with Simon Grayson, manager of Leeds United."

Building relationships

The children’s mayor post aims to build relationships between young people and the adult democratic process. Cornick says: "Hopefully, we are getting young people interested in changing their community for the better and understanding they can be involved in important decisions and have a voice.

"The whole team feels passionate about it and it is so rewarding to listen to the young people and read the manifestos and share in their hopes of how they would like to see change.

"The children are mature and can see they can make a difference, so to get them excited about that is exactly what we are looking for."