by Emma Grove

Two teenagers have represented the Island at the UK’s annual youth parliament summit.
Rhys George, 17, is chairman of the Kent Youth County Council (KYCC), and Kerr Jefferies, also 17, was Sheppey’s representative on the council in 2007.
At the weekend they both went to the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) Annual Sitting at the University of Kent in Canterbury.
Rhys, from Minster, and Kerr, from Sheerness, were elected as two of seven Kent members of the UKYP through their involvement with the KYCC.
Almost 400 members of the UKYP came together at the summit to draw up the manifesto for the year.
Rhys said the youth parliament’s big campaigns this year include trying to secure a concessionary price on buses for under-18s, and to abolish university fees.
He said: “It was absolutely brilliant and it feels great to be part of it.
“It was quite a surreal experience when we were writing the manifesto, but if you put enough work and effort in you can make the change.”
Rhys and Kerr were among the first non-elected members of parliament ever to debate at the House of Commons earlier this year, and Rhys said he enjoys being on the youth parliament so much that he will definitely stand again when the elections come round in January.