Resources: And this is what I do

I also co-ordinate the annual elections for the young mayor.

What are the main elements of support you offer? I make sure they have the information and the resources they need to carry out their spending and policy agendas, to carry out their civic duties and to respond to adult and young people's questions. I use youth work skills and management skills and transfer my understanding of the political climate to all the young people involved.

How did you get into this? I started work as a volunteer in Deptford in 1976 and did a variety of youth work roles. I trained in youth and community work in Leicester, then became a full-time youth worker and ran a large multi-purpose youth and community centre in Brockley for 15 years. In 1997, we launched the first young people's participation event in Lewisham. This was the start of the young mayor scheme, which we held the first election for in 2004.