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Greater Manchester's young people deserve to be listened to, not just heard.
On 2nd May 2024 Greater Manchester will choose its next mayor.
There are over 898,000 young people under 25 living in Greater Manchester and we all should be entitled to the same opportunities, regardless of our postcode or our background. The Mayor of Greater Manchester has the power to make that happen.
Many of us don’t have a voice in this election, so we want you to vote for a mayor who will invest in working-class young people now.
As a group of young people from across Greater Manchester, we have some demands for our next mayor. We’re sick of being heard but never listened to. We want a mayor who will listen to us, learn from us and invest in solutions shaped by us.
Download our full manifesto here
Education and Life Skills
Our education system doesn’t teach us the skills we need for life. One size doesn’t fit all, and the current curriculum doesn’t support us in building critical skills to deal with real-world problems.
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Ensure there is an equal entitlement delivered for critical thinking and citizenship learning embedded in EBacc and proposed MBacc routes.
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Invest in more opportunities across the region for young people to access external activities that develop their skills, knowledge and confidence and support them in learning core life skills.
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Space for young people
Greater Manchester has a vibrant social scene, but none of it is for us. As young people, we want access to spaces that are ours. Spaces that feel safe, support our mental wellbeing and build our experiences.
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Invest in more youth centres and youth provision, ensuring each borough has what it needs including youth spaces within city and town centres.
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Ensure young people across our communities are supported in the planning, design and delivery of youth provision.
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Develop a digital resource for young people in Greater Manchester that allows us to see what youth services and activities are available.
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Provide support for a broad range of arts, cultural and entertainment activities accessible for all young people.
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Introduce a ‘youth green space quota’ ensuring that young people in each borough have an equal right to green space both now and in any future planning.
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Transport
Every young person in Greater Manchester should be able to access affordable, efficient and safe transport regardless of where they live.
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Extend the Our Pass scheme to all 11 - 16 year olds in Greater Manchester.
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Ensure Our Pass covers trams and local train journeys.
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Develop bus routes that make it easier for young people to access youth provision across the region.
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Invest in creating a safer public transport system through better infrastructure and enabling bystander support.
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A better political culture
The biggest barrier for young people engaging in politics is politicians. We want Greater Manchester to set the standard for how politics should be done.
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Invest in education programmes that explain how politics works and support young people to engage in decision-making within the Combined Authority.
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Ensure that political decisions are communicated accessibly and transparently to young people across Greater Manchester.
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Add your name to support our Manifesto
Quotes from the research:
77 percent* of the population believe it's time to rethink the purpose of education and change the system. We know that national change is needed, but we believe that some of that change needs to be directed locally.
(*https://www.big-change.org/what-we-do/transforming-education/)
The lack of diverse and accessible spaces means that 40 percent of all Year 10 students in Greater Manchester feel there are no good places for young people to spend their free time.
(https://beewellprogramme.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BeeWell-Year-2-Headlines-Report.pdf)
1 in 5 young people are disengaged from participation in arts, culture and entertainment, with the majority of those in working-class communities.
(https://beewellprogramme.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BeeWell-Year-2-Headlines-Report.pdf)