Profiles: Young leaders

With 2015 an election year, the Carrick Times hears the views of young people in the borough who are playing a role in the wider community on subjects ranging from whether the voting age should be lowered to the merits of volunteering and helping others.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Jan 2015, 18:00 BST
Junior Mayor Tom Scott. INCT 45-119-GRJunior Mayor Tom Scott. INCT 45-119-GR
Junior Mayor Tom Scott. INCT 45-119-GR

Tom Scott, Carrickfergus College student and Junior Mayor

What were the highlights of the year just passed?

Throughout the year on the Junior Council I worked on courses to help build our leadership and team-working skills. We did get in touch with the junior council located in Leitrim at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. I also had a few days where I got to meet a group from the United States. Throughout the year we had weekend residential courses away to work on business within our junior council.

What attracted you to the Junior Council?

Personally I joined the council as I believed that it would be a fantastic opportunity to try and make some sort of a difference in Carrickfergus - to make life either a bit more safe or a bit more entertaining for young people. I live in Whitehead so a few of my ideas were also aimed there.

What are your hopes for 2015?

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The group has many great ideas for Carrick in the upcoming year, and we plan to put them into action as soon as we can. Carrick will know about these ideas as soon as everything is in place.

What would you like to see from political/community leaders in 2015?

I would like to see some work done for teenagers in Carrick, a lot of work has been done for the younger ones in the town, with the new park along the Marine Highway being built, but the older groups still seem to have no appropriate places to go to in Carrickfergus to hang out.

2015 will be an election year; do you think it is important young people vote?

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I believe that the people that have the privilege to vote should take the opportunity to use it.

Should the voting age be lowered?

I personally do not believe that the voting age should be lowered, only because I think if this was to be the case, many people would not take it as seriously as it should be and use their vote in the wrong way.

Keep an eye on our paper and website for more profiles.

Related topics:Carrickfergus