Maidenhead & Windsor

Seventeen-year-old Jodie Dingwall is the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough's new MYP (Member of Youth Parliament).

Jodie, of Sturt Green, Holyport, topped the recent polls to become the Windsor and Maidenhead borough's fifth MYP in a hard-fought election which saw a record number of votes – a total of 3128 – cast at youth centres and schools across the borough over an eight-day period.

Each of the three candidates set out their manifestos to help them secure the votes of 11-18-year-olds across the borough in the annual elections.

Jodie polled nearly 43% of the votes in the close-run contest with manifesto pledges including:

· increasing job opportunities for under-18s
· fighting for cheaper and more reliable public transport
· increasing the entertainment and nightlife for under 18s in the borough.

Jodie follows in the footsteps of the outgoing Windsor and Maidenhead MYP Gemma Thorogood and their predecessors Robert Weeks, Helen Flory and Natasha Lavender in representing the views of local young people at the National Youth Parliament conferences.

She will also help youth workers to set up local satellite youth forums to feed ideas and opinions into the borough youth forum – with the aim of reflecting the views of as many young people as possible in the future provision of services they need and use.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead children's services, said: "I am delighted for Jodie – and I am sure she will do as good a job as her predecessors in representing the views of her peers in the Royal Borough.

"It is really important that our young people have an opportunity to have their say on issues which matter to them and which affect them. This is why the role of MYP is so important as he or she can take those views to national level through the youth Parliament.

"It is really encouraging that so many young people took the time and trouble to read the candidates' manifestos and vote in the recent elections, and I would like to thank everyone involved for helping to make this election a really worthwhile event."

Jodie said after the election: "I am proud and delighted to have been elected as MYP for the Royal Borough – and I will do my very, very best to fulfil the expectations of all those who voted for me.

"I am really looking forward to my year as MYP – it will be a very exciting experience and one which I'm sure I will remember for ever. Thank you to all those who voted for me – now it's up to me to make the best of this brilliant opportunity to really make a difference for all of us."

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead