We are proud to share that Viola, a Year 10 student at Burgess Hill Girls, has been elected to the Youth Parliament, where she will represent young people across West Sussex. Her achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering tomorrow’s women to use their voices with confidence, purpose, and impact.
Viola explained that her decision to apply came from a growing awareness that young people often feel excluded from political conversations. She shared that “when I started paying attention to politics it quickly dawned on me that as a young person I had no real voice,” adding that she knew many other young people felt the same. Discovering the Youth Parliament made her realise it was “the perfect opportunity for me to make a real difference in West Sussex,” particularly as it enables her to ensure young people have “a real voice because we deserve to be heard.”
Finding out she had been elected was both exciting and empowering. Viola described feeling “very excited,” calling it “a huge opportunity,” and expressed her gratitude to everyone who voted for her. She also reflected on how the role has already changed her sense of confidence, explaining that she now feels listened to by “important figures,” which she believes will allow her to “make an even biggest difference.”
A key focus of Viola’s work is improving youth engagement in politics, particularly through education. This was central to her manifesto and now forms the core of her role as co‑chair of the Youth Parliament’s education campaign. She said this is something she is “very passionate about and excited to start working on,” especially as the campaign focuses on “education on politics in schools.” Through this, she hopes to not only educate young people but also provide spaces where they can “talk about politics and feel respected and listened to.”
Viola credits much of the confidence and skill that helped her stand out in the selection process to her experiences at Burgess Hill Girls. She explained that “alot of my skills and experiences that helped me come from Burgess Hill Girls,” particularly her confidence. Since joining the school, she feels she has developed the ability to “deliver speeches confidently, debate and express my passion for politics,” which she believes played an important role in her success.
During her time in the Youth Parliament, Viola is especially looking forward to turning ideas into action. Co‑leading the education campaign gives her “a real opportunity to educate young people on politics,” while she is also excited to speak with local figures such as MPs and County Councillors, who she recognises “have the authority to make real change across the county.”
The role also closely supports her academic ambitions. As Viola plans to study a political degree at university, she sees this as “an extremely useful experience” and her “first introduction to leadership and politics.” She believes it will also help her grow personally by building “even more confidence and experience public speaking” as she develops as a future political figure.
Reflecting on her journey, Viola highlighted the strong support she has received at Burgess Hill Girls. She noted that only a few years ago she “would have never imagined” being able to speak confidently in front of large audiences. Opportunities such as Current Affairs Club and Eco Council have allowed her to “speak about politics freely and express my passion,” while the encouragement of staff throughout her campaign was invaluable. She spoke particularly warmly of teachers who supported her “every step of the way,” including Ms Flatman, who helped her run a very successful campaign.
Viola hopes her experience will inspire other students to consider leadership opportunities. She strongly encourages anyone interested in youth leadership to “give it a go,” explaining that she has already learned so much and significantly improved her public speaking. While speaking in front of others can be “terrifying,” she has learned that many people genuinely want to listen, describing it as “a wonderful feeling of being so appreciated.”
Viola’s success is a powerful example of how Burgess Hill Girls empowers students to find their voices, use them with confidence, and inspire positive change for others.
