Democracy Ambassadors to inspire political engagement

The Cabinet Office has unveiled a new programme aimed at inspiring school-age young people in full time education to engage with democracy from an earlier stage.

The Democracy Ambassador’s scheme will see 1,000 13-16 year olds recruited across the UK to inform their peers about our country’s democratic processes and promote participation. Currently, it is reported that 18 to 34 year olds are much less likely to feel confident in their knowledge of politics than those who are 35 and above.

Launched during National Democracy Week, the scheme, delivered in partnership with Young Citizens, aims to increase school-age young people’s confidence on the subject, ahead of reaching voting age at 18. Training will include education on how democracy works in England at both a national and local level, alongside a challenge to reach out to 100 of their peers and encourage participation in democracy.

Minister for the Constitution, Chloe Smith said: “National Democracy Week is about inspiring, empowering and engaging people in democracy. School students in particular have told me they want the information and skills to be able to cast their votes when they become adults. The Democracy Ambassadors scheme has been designed for this age-group as they head towards voting age, to build a legacy of engaged future citizens.”