Meet Alice, a teenager with a world to change
8:00am Tuesday 25th March 2008
WHILE many teenagers are happy to simply change their ringtone, Alice Bond is more concerned with changing the world.
The 16-year-old was recently elected to represent West Worcestershire, which covers Worcester and the Malvern Hills, on the UK Youth Parliament, and also is a member of Worcestershire Youth Cabinet.
She is hoping to make sweeping changes to young people's lives in the county.
"I want to create a wider range of activities for young people," she said. "And I want to raise environmental awareness as well as reduction - or better still abolition - of university fees, and cheaper public transport for young people.
"I want youths to realise that their opinions do count and they can make changes."
Alice, a pupil at The Chase Technology College, Malvern, applied to be a member of the UK Youth Parliament after seeing an advert. She said: "I thought it sounded Kids are banned from being everywhere. If you are with a group of friends, the police will break you up' interesting and I am interested in making a change to young people's lives so I thought I would give it a go," she said. "I never expected to be elected but now I have, I hope that I can make a difference."
Alice has a genuine passion for politics that is fuelled by the perceived treatment of her peers by adults.
"Kids are banned from being practically everywhere," she said. "If you are with a group of friends, the police will break you up. I want to make a wider range of activities available for children.
"We need to ensure that there is more for them to do and then perhaps they won't get into trouble and young people won't get such a bad name."
Following a residential weekend recently, the UK Youth Parliament has decided on a range of issues it wants to concentrate on.
"As a group we have three campaigns for the West Midlands, which are sexually transmitted diseases, a positive image for young people in the media, and better facilities and provisions."
"In Worcestershire, the two other members and I have come up with another three campaigns: transport, university fees, and sustainable development."
Alice, a sixth former who in two months will sit four A-levels - in maths, physics, geography and product design - said public transport was ripe for change.
"It is ridiculous that someone of 16 has to pay an adult fare when they cannot vote, or even watch an 18 movie. It should be put up to 18."
As well as this, Alice is also launching two of her own personal campaigns - the alcohol age limit and the education maintenance allowance (EMA) - cash paid to 16, 17 and 18-year-olds to encourage them to stay on in full-time education.
"I am campaigning against the Government's plans to raise the alcohol age limit to 21," she said. "This will be incredibly unfair, and the Government will also lose out on millions of pounds worth of tax, which could be spent on abolishing university fees.
"With regards to the EMA I think this should be made available to all students not just a select few."
Alice, of Poolbrook Road, Malvern, certainly has a full agenda for her next year in office.
"As a member of the youth cabinet I have to attend one meeting a month," she says. "With the UK Youth Parliament the meetings are once every two months. There are also residential courses and you can spend as much time as you want on your own campaigns.
"I am really looking forward to getting stuck in once my A-levels are out of the way, but I will still make time for my friends and to take part in my hobbies."
Alice is a keen astronomer and hopes to study astro physics at university.
Asked which public figure she most admires, Alice says Al Gore - for publicly promoting environmental awareness, "even though it has been receiving extremely negative press coverage".
And she said if there was one message she could deliver to the Government, it would be that the environment needs to be protected, "if we want to protect the future".
For the first time in history the UK Youth Parliament will sit in the Houses of Parliament in May.
It is part of an historic move to listen to the voices of children and young people.
The Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYPs) will use the event to debate and vote on their national campaigns for 2008 and 2009.
FACT FILE
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is run by young people for young people.
UKYP was launched at the House of Commons in July 1999, and held its first sitting in February 2001 in London.
There are currently more than 500 elected MYPs (members of youth parliament) and deputy MYPs.
Worcestershire's two other MYPs are Peter Bullock - East Worcestershire (Wychavon and Redditch), and Ryan Noakes - North Worcestershire (Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest).
UKYP elections take place each year, in every part of the UK, and any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote in UKYP elections.
Nationally, the views of young people are represented in the UKYP manifesto, which contains statements on the issues MYPs think are most important.