Over the past few weeks I have been part of the Team v campaign ‘Swing the Vote’ which aimed to increase the number of young voters and raise political understanding. It is so important to remember that politics doesn’t end with the election.
Politics is so often only talked about in either the run up to the elections or in a negative way. It is vital everyone is aware of how they can stay involved and make a difference throughout the year, not just when it comes to voting.
So how can you stay political?
It is so easy! Simply write to your local MP by email, post or on social media or visit them at one of their surgeries to raise an issue that is important to you. You can share political posts on your social media pages, with friends, family & work colleagues. Why not get together with a group of like minded people and share your interest in politics and create your own change?
If you are unsure of who your local MP is please take a look here.
How am I going to stay political?
Before the start of the ‘Swing the Vote’ campaign my political knowledge was very limited! It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested, I was, but I found finding information for myself time consuming and difficult to understand. I didn’t appreciate how much politics affects my daily life. Over the past few weeks I have been very lucky to learn so much and this has inspired me to continue learning and hopefully make a difference in a small way.
This week I will be writing to my local MP and sharing what is important to me in my local community. Check back here shortly for an update on that.
I will also be running workshops in a local Secondary school and a stall in a local library to raise awareness of why political understanding is important. I will be asking young people whether or not they voted and why. I think this is so important as without knowing why someone chose to vote or not vote we cannot help educate people for when the next election arrives.
If you’d like to see what Team v leaders and volunteers have been up to during this campaign, as well as many young people, check out #swingthevote on twitter.
So, what are you waiting for? Send that tweet, write that status or email or letter, share that issue with your friends and family that has been niggling away at you since the election now 🙂
Chasing Dreams 