MP launches summer school

Photo: Tim Bradley

MP Debbie Abrahams' Summer School for 18-25 year olds. Pictured here at her office on Church Lane, Oldham (l-r) two of the students have a chat with Debbie Abrahams Ribia Nisa(22) from Chadderton and Joseph Sheridan (23) from Saddleworth.

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MP Debbie Abrahams has launched a summer school to give young people a peep into politics and vital work experience.

As a contribution to Get Oldham Working, the Oldham East and Saddleworth representative recruited 11, people aged 18-24, for her Working for Your Community Summer School, offering them a taste of how parliament affects everyone’s daily life.

The two-week initiative is also a chance to develop community action skills.

Explaining the thinking behind the summer school, Mrs Abrahams said: “As an MP, I am often asked for work-experience placements and internships. Unfortunately I can’t accommodate them all so the summer school is my way to contribute to Get Oldham Working.

“I also want to give as many young people from Oldham and Saddleworth as I can fit into my office space the chance to see the links between everyday issues and politics.

“Too many people say to me ‘politics has nothing to do with me’ or ‘I don’t vote because politics doesn’t affect me’. Politics affects almost every aspect of people’s lives. Showing the connections between local issues and how this can be addressed in parliament, we will not only show how parliament operates, but the group will gain some real work experience about how to organise community-based campaigns.”

Insight

The recruits will have a tour of parliament, meet politicians, researchers and advisers and get an insight into how community campaigns can be scaled up to a national level and politicians’ roles in this.

They will then be placed within a number of the borough’s charities and firms, including Voluntary Action Oldham, Oldham Foodbank, Web Applications, Positive Steps and the Alzheimer’s Society.
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