Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan, has visited students at Dalriada School in Ballymoney for the final session in his ‘Breaktime with the Mayor’ series.
The visit was organised as part of the Shared Education group for Pupil Voice, which Council’s Good Relations team is represented on.
The session included group discussions with Year 11 Learning for Life and Work pupils, on issues such as citizenship, leadership in the community and discussions on how young people can get involved in local politics.
Speaking about the visit to the school, Councillor McQuillan said: “For my final ‘Breaktime with the Mayor’ session, I was delighted to meet with the pupils from Dalriada and talk about the issues they feel are important to them.
“In Year 11, many of the students are beginning to think about their future careers. I was able to share my own journey through university into politics and chat to the students about their career aspirations.
“I explained more about how the democratic process works and was able highlight my work as the youngest Mayor in the history of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.”
The Mayor, who recently joined with the Deputy Mayor to host a Dawn Walk in aid of the charities MindWise and NIKPA, touched upon the important work that both charities do within the community, especially in promoting mental health support in schools and community groups across Causeway Coast and Glens.
The Mayor continued: “During the school visit, I also had the opportunity to talk about young people’s mental health and highlight the help is that available for anyone who is struggling.
“I hope my visit today, and all of the visits to schools throughout my time as Mayor, will inspire a new generation of politicians and that the discussions we all have had helps to normalise conversations about mental health from a young age.
“Thank you to all the schools who participated in ‘Breaktime with the Mayor’.”
Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan, visited Dalriada School in Ballymoney in his final ‘Breaktime with the Mayor’ session, to discuss issues such as citizenship, leadership in the community and how young people can get involved in local politics.