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Nominations have opened for the next Welsh Youth Parliament.

As the youth parliament enters its third term, young people across Wales will have the chance to elect 60 new members to represent them.

Aspiring candidates, who must be aged between 11 and 17, now have the chance to put their names forward to represent their constituencies.

Each of the 40 Senedd constituencies in Wales will elect one youth parliament member, with a further 20 youth parliament members elected by partner organisations to ensure a diverse representation.

The election will be held on November 25.

Youth parliament members are elected for two-year terms, with the first election taking place back in 2018, with the most recent in 2021.

Voting is done electronically, with each registered voter emailed a unique code to verify their ballot.

The Welsh Youth Parliament is not party-political, but members meet at the Senedd and set their own priority issues to focus on over their term.

In previous terms, the youth parliament has looked into issues around the school curriculum, mental health, climate, and more.

Applicants must submit a biography explaining why they would be a good Welsh Youth Parliament member, and raise three issues that are most important to them in areas the Senedd has powers over.

Visit the Welsh Youth Parliament website for more information.

“Great opportunity”

Ellis Peares, a former youth parliament member, said: “It’s a great opportunity to have your voice heard – that’s what was important to me when I decided to stand. There were a lot of things I wanted to change, and this was my chance to do that.

“I got to speak to so many important people like Welsh Government ministers – including the First Minister, and they listened to our ideas.

“It gave me a lot of opportunities like speaking in the Siambr, not many people can say they’ve done that.

“That’s been really helpful for things I’ve done since then – like being invited to sit on the Welsh Government Human Rights Advisory Group – which I would never have been able to do without my Welsh Youth Parliament experience.”