Teenagers proved that not all young people are disenchanted with politics by taking over the council for a day.
Fifty teenagers shadowed senior decision makers as part of ‘Takeover Day’ on Friday, November 21.
They took over from heads of departments and senior councillors including leader Ravi Govindia and chief executive Paul Martin.
The youngsters even taught the grownups how to get down with the kids by using social media.
The Children’s Commissioner, Maggie Atkinson, paid a visit to Wandsworth on the day and said: “Children's Commissioner's Takeover Day provides an amazing chance for young people to make a difference to their communities and have their voices heard.”
Councillor Govindia was shadowed by 16-year old Abubaker Ahmed and said: “It was fantastic to get a fresh perspective from Abubaker. He was incredibly bright and confident and brought a fresh pair of eyes to the local issues I discussed with colleagues that day, including jobs and regeneration.”
Four students also took over police stations across the borough and got to listen to live incidents on police radio.
Detective Superintendent Peter Laverick said: “Initiatives like this are crucial in developing trust, understanding and confidence in the service which we provide to all of our communities.”
The Children's Commissioner for England promotes awareness of the views of children to the people who make decisions about their lives.
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