YOUNG people from Malvern and beyond became councillors for the day during this year’s Local Democracy Day.

Malvern Hills District Council organised the event, which took place at the Chantry High School, Martley, where pupils from all five of the district’s high schools took part in a range of challenges.

One of the tasks saw pupils asked to create their own political party and come up with a manifesto to win power. Proposals ranged from reducing litter and supporting the NHS to the legalisation of marijuana.

They were then challenged to balance the council’s budget through spending cuts, efficiency savings and income generation. Another group was asked to design their own community.

A panel of councillors and officers then had the unenviable job of choosing the winners.

Hanley Castle High School and Tenbury High Ormiston Academy shared top spot in the design-a-community challenge, having impressed judges with their vision for the district.

The Chase won the build-a-political-party challenge and one of their manifesto proposals – to send young people into residential homes to help alleviate loneliness and breakdown barriers between the generations – will be taken into the council’s five year plan.

The Chantry School was highly commended for its radical manifesto, and both have been asked to present their policies to councillors at a meeting of the full council in November.

Council leader David Chambers said: “We were impressed with the standard of the proposals and forward thinking from all the young people that took part in the day.

"It’s so important we raise awareness of the importance of local democracy amongst young people and there were definitely a few potential politicians amongst the groups that I hope we will see in the council chamber at some point in the future.”