Derby's Youth Mayor

The role of the Youth Mayor is to represent young people and Derby City Council at events across the city and support the Mayor where appropriate.

Who are Derby's Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor?

The newly elected Derby Youth Mayor for 2025/26 is India Johal  and the Deputy Youth Mayor is Maryam Riaz . They were elected on 10 February 2025 and will be in office for one year. Both will shadow the current Youth Mayor Sam Thiruvathilil  and Alisha Ahmed Deputy Youth Mayor until being sworn into office at the Council's AGM in May 2025.

What is the role of the Youth Mayor?

The Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor help to raise awareness of the positive contribution young people make to our city and ensure their voices are heard.

Their role is to represent the voice of children and young people at:

• the Council Cabinet
• Children and Young People Scrutiny
• public events.

They also chair Voices in Action Youth Council meetings and attend schools across the city to hear the voice of other children and young people in the city.

Throughout their term of office, the Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor attend events and engagements that raise the profile of issues that matter to young people in Derby. To invite the Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor to an event, please complete the booking form. While it is not possible to accept every request that is received, we aim to respond to all bookings within 14 days.

Who can stand as Youth Mayor?

Any young person can stand for Youth Mayor as long as they:

• live in Derby
• are between the ages of 11-18 or up to 25 if you are a disabled young person
• have the permission of their parent or carer and their school, college or training provider.7

How do I apply to stand for Youth Mayor?

Application for Youth Mayor is through your school.  

Four application forms from each school are short-listed to one candidate by a selection panel including the current Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor.

It is the decision of each Secondary School which four candidates can submit their application forms.‌

Apply to stand as Youth Mayor

If you have been successfully elected for the role of Youth Mayor or Deputy Youth Mayor and completed your year in office, then you will be unable to apply for this role again in the future.

How does the voting take place?

1. Selected candidates deliver a three minute speech and the Voices in Action Youth Council vote for who they feel should progress.
2. A videos of the speeches for the final candidates is shown in schools, where each student is given a ballot paper to vote for the candidate of their choice.
3. The votes are then counted by Derby City Council.