Telford MP Hosts Over 50 Young People in Parliament

A group of 16-to-18-year-olds from Telford and surrounding areas have completed a six-month leadership development programme delivered by Future Leaders UK. Sponsored by Harper Adams University, the scheme provided participants with training sessions, enrichment experiences, and educational visits designed to build confidence and leadership skills.

The programme concluded with a special award ceremony hosted by Shaun Davies MP, which included a visit to the Houses of Parliament to celebrate the achievements of the young people.

To commence the ceremony, Shaun gave a speech to the students, in which he praised their hard work to complete the scheme, as well as the opportunities that had been given to them as rewards for their hard work by Harper Adams and Future Leaders UK.

He was followed by Ken Sloan, Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams, and senior officials from the Home Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – both of whom had hosted visits as part of the scheme. Several students also gave speeches, and three students performed a song. Certificates were then awarded to all the students who had participated.

"Incredible experience"

Following the event, Shaun said: “I know first-hand what an incredible experience it is to visit Parliament as a young person – when I was 11, I came here for a tour thanks to the MP at the time, Bruce Grocott. It was my pleasure to give these young people the same opportunity; it’s the least they deserved after the months of hard work they put in to develop their life and employment skills. I had a great time meeting them and I hope we can do this every year.”

Professor Ken Sloan, Harper Adams University Vice-Chancellor, said: “As Shropshire and Telford’s University, we want to do everything we can to offer people in the region opportunities – which is why we worked with Future Leaders UK to bring this programme to Telford.”

“Being offered the chance to see the Houses of Parliament – and to have their achievements recognised there – is one such opportunity, and we are very grateful to Shaun for hosting the event and for all the work he has done with the University – whether in Telford, in London, or beyond.”

A great opportunity

Libby Hewlett a sixth form student from Dawley was one of the young people who attended: “Visiting Parliament was amazing. I learned so much about its history and how things work day to day. Seeing the inside of the House of Commons was definitely one of the highlights - the architecture was stunning. Overall, the visit and programme were such a great opportunity to learn and meet loads of new people.”

Faheem Khan, Future Leaders UK said: “We were honoured to be hosted by Shaun Davies MP at Parliament to celebrate the graduation of our Telford students. This marked the completion of a six-month programme where young people have been developing their skills, building their confidence, and preparing for successful futures.”