A WHIDDON Down youngster has secured a seat in the UK Youth Parliament.

Robyn Ough, 16, was elected as a Deputy MYP in the recent election for the Torridge, North and West Devon area.

Robyn was one of five candidates shortlisted for the area ? the county was split into three parts, with more than 15,000 votes cast by young people across Devon in 41 venues, including schools, youth centres and colleges.

Robyn, who is currently undertaking voluntary youth work at Okehampton College, said the idea of standing for the Youth Parliament came about after talking to one of the youth workers at the college.

She said her message to young people was that they could make a difference: ?You can?t complain if you do not try and do something about things.

?Young people want to make a difference in general. They just felt that no-one was listening to them, and that is what we are here for.?

Robyn said she enjoyed the process of standing for election. ?I went and spoke in assembly and tried to encourage young people to go out and vote.?

The role of the deputy was to give the person chosen as Member of the Youth Parliament a ?helping hand?. Although as member for the area, 15-year-old Lydia Cawsey from Bideford Community College will attend the parliament?s meetings in London, Robyn will also be very involved in the process.

Despite her success in the elections, Robyn is not sure a future in political life would be for her. ?It wasn?t anything I had thought about doing before. It looks like fun. If I enjoy it, I might want to do more, we?ll just have to see,? she said.

The members of the Youth Parliament are all aged between 11 and 18 and serve for a year, after which they can decide to seek re-election.