Make your voice heard during election time

James Bacon, a Politics Graduate from The University of Bristol, is behind the Don’t Count Yourself Out campaign, which is aimed at people aged 13 to 30 living in 1066 Country.

The 25-year-old explained: “Voting is the most important way to make your voice heard on the issues that concern you.

“We all have opinions on certain issues, whether it be animal rights, saving Hastings Pier or whether we invest more in education.

“However, there is a major problem with political apathy in this town and country, where I predict there is a democratic crisis looming. This is why on Easter Sunday, a politically neutral campaign was launched, called Don’t Count Yourself Out, where the true winner is democracy.

“The aim for this campaign is to inform and educate young people in and around Hastings on the importance of voting and having a say in the decisions which affect them and their community.”

James added: “If we can inform and educate our young people as early as possible about why we vote and explain the system more coherently, we can avert any crisis from happening.

“It means that our local schools and colleges must be on board to support this so that we can build a culture of ‘Voting and Society Matters’.”

The campaign has already received support from across the political spectrum, with backing from; Solomon Curtis, the vice chair of the British Youth Council; Louis Bedwell of the One Expedition; Jeremy Birch, leader of Hastings Borough Council; the Mayor of Hastings; Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd; Hastings Youth Council; Parliamentary Candidate for Labour Sarah Owen Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats, Nick Perry.

James, who has been working closely with schools and colleges in the area, says the ultimate goal for the campaign is to increase voter turn out.

To find out more about, visit the campaign’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-Count-Yourself-Out/509627995815514 or simply type in ‘Don’t Count Yourself Out’ on Facebook to find the page. Anyone interested in supporting the campaign should email [email protected].