The Young Mayor Initiative will make “Medway’s name heard on the national, if not international stage”, says one councillor as the cabinet supports the scheme.

Medway Council’s cabinet agreed to proceed with creating a young mayor for the Towns, along with seven deputy young mayors.

They would be year 6 six children voted in by their peers to represent them at big events throughout the year, and the council hopes the scheme will encourage children to engage with democracy and their community.

Portfolio holder for children’s services, Cllr Adam Price (Lab), said the plans would connect with children, giving them a voice and a chance to speak out about issues facing them.

He said: “The Young Mayor Initiative is a great way to empower children and young people, to amplify their voices, and it’ll push Medway closer to its goal of being a child-friendly city.

“It also fits in very well with our ambition to move from getting “good” Ofsted rating for our children’s services in 2023 to “outstanding”.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting initiative and Medway’s name will be heard on the national if not international stage.”

He added that while the Young Mayor Initiative had been implemented in other areas of the country, children from Medway had made the suggestion themselves to the council as well.

While the cabinet agreed to start the scheme, they did choose the option which means the council itself will not fund the project, instead seeking outside funding.

Cllr Price continued: “There is no budget for this, unfortunately, so we’re going to press ahead with this but seek alternative funding.”

The cost of the scheme is £35,000 per year - paying for hiring an engagement officer at £33,000 per year, plus spending of £2,000 for marketing, travel and subsistence.

Additionally, for the first year an additional one-off cost of £1,790 would be spent on mayoral robes, a collar and a hat for the young mayor, as well as a £900 on medals for the young mayor and two for deputies.

However the specifics of the young mayor outfit have not been fully decided, as some members of the cabinet suggested alternatives might be more appropriate.

Deputy council leader Cllr Teresa Murray said she thought alternatives to the robes, collar and hat should be considered.

“I do wonder if we could have a bit of flexibility on the robes - it might be possible to have a badge or provide, maybe, a blazer rather than robes.

“I’m not sure how I feel about the whole ‘mini mayor’ outfit and I wonder if, for some children, that might be a bit inhibiting.

“I would like the team to rethink that element - but this is a way to make sure the voices of children are heard.

“One of the things you often hear from young people - and particularly those who end up in the prison system - is “no-one listened to me”.

Cllr Nina Gurung, portfolio holder for heritage, culture and leisure said: “It is actually quite thought-provoking when children share their experiences and the way they perceive the world can sometimes differ to the way we think they see it.

“It is very important their voices are embedded in each part of the decision-making process.

“The young mayor concept has been tried and tested in other areas and has been very successful - it gives children a sense of belonging as fellow residents in Medway.”

Portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, Cllr Alex Paterson (Lab), also supported the scheme, saying it was another element of the council’s consideration of what was best for children in Medway.

He added that something the scheme should consider is making sure the process is open to all children and encourages those who would not normally get involved to step forward.

The cabinet unanimously agreed to proceed with the Young Mayor Initiative and to seek external funding in order to create it.