WHO
WE ARE
It takes a strong partnership to support young people to help them engage in local democracy and civic life which means there's always an unseen list of people who are helping! Meet our core team and Young Advisors who work with the Young Mayor and are part of the Young Mayors Project.
Lewisham Young Mayor &
Deputy Young Mayor. 2019-21
(Left) Young Mayor of Lewisham Femi Komolafe 2019 - 21 and (Right) Deputy Young Mayor of Lewisham Aaliyah Odedina 2019 - 21 .
Read our Manifestos which helped us get elected!
My faith is what has made me who I am, and as young mayor I want to reach out to the young people of this borough and share my faith with them without undermining other religions. I believe this will have personal as well as societal benefits.
I also understand that the young people of this borough have various unique gifts and talents with corridors of greatness through them, but no opportunity to showcase them to the wider community.
As young mayor I want to provide those opportunities for young people to enjoy and practise their passion.
So vote for me, Femi Komolafe as your next young mayor and help me turn our youth of today into the leaders of tomorrow!
- Femi Komolafe,16
Imagine living your life in silence. No one to talk to, no one to hear you, no one to go to. You find yourself slowly spiralling into a mental state of insecurity and anxiety.
Unfortunately, this is the sad reality of our society. Our community is quickly changing. It revolves too much around other people’s opinions and trends. We hardly have time to think and act for ourselves. This is causing a massive decline in our mental health that no one seems to be talking about.
Did you know that 75% of youths with a mental problem aren’t receiving treatment?
That’s 75% too many.
As Young Mayor I would like to put in place anonymous helplines, as well as other essential resources for our mental health, so that youths no longer have to suffer in silence.
- Aaliyah Odedina,16
In the coming weeks look out for our updates on what we have been up to since being elected!
Young
Advisors.
Emmerson S.
Young Advisor, 13
Emmerson joined the Young Advisors at the age of 9! Since then he has been involved in engaging other young people into civic life in Lewisham. He is also passionate about football, theatre and giving other young people a chance to express their views!
Joshua B-S.
Chair of Young Advisor, 14
Joshua is the current Chair of young advisors and became a young advisor to make a change to our local community. He has a love for all things civic life and enjoys cooking and spending time with his family during his spare time.
Morgan S.
Young Advisor, 17
Since joining Young Advisors in 2017 Morgan actively advocates for other young people who have SEND needs and co-leads the Young Advisors SEND Forum. Morgan loves to entertain people with a love for piano and singing!
Marvin G.
Young Advisor, 12
Marvin believes every young person should be given a chance to reach their potential. Since joining Young Advisors from year 5 He has continuously attended weekly meetings and shared his views. Marvin loves rugby and plays on his school team.
Shemar S.
Member of London Youth Assembly, 16
Former Lewisham UKYP Rep
Shemar has been a young advisor since the age of 14 where he represented the borough as the UK youth parliament MP for two years. Shemar has a drive for creating change and giving young people a chance to voice their views. Currently he is the Lewisham member of the London Youth Assembly.
Look out for more of our Young Advisors profiles coming....
The Young Mayors Team.
Katy Brown
Advisor to the Young Mayor
Committed to supporting young people to have opportunities and to take part in local democracy, influence policy and decision making.
Jacob Sakil IV
Advisor to the Young Mayor
As a former Young Mayor of Lewisham 09/10 Jacob is an active advocate for youth voice and up-skilling young people to engage in youth democracy.
In Loving Memory
Malcolm Ball
1959 - 2021
As a dedicated Youth Worker in Lewisham for the past 40 years Malcolm has worked with young people and been involved since the beginning developing the Young Mayors programme.
Mal first began working with young people at the age of 17 at St Michael's Community Centre, New Cross.
Through his passion and dedication, Mal encouraged young people to be who they want to be, to trust and believe in themselves.
He broadened their world views, teaching respect, kindness, honesty, and friendship. He helped young people to create the world they wanted to live in.
He has left a lasting impact on us all and will continue to do so, a real Lewisham Legend!