Former Member of Rochdale Youth Parliament set for Royal recognition

Member of Youth Parliament Sarah Mahmood for 2017/18

The work of a former Member of Rochdale Youth Parliament in improving the lives of young people in the borough is being recognised with a 'Diana Award'.

Sarah Mahmood, aged 16, from Hollingworth Academy, impressed judges with her determined campaign work on issues that affect young people across the Rochdale borough via her work with Rochdale Youth Cabinet, supported by Rochdale Youth Service and Neeli Mosque.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, with the full support of her sons, The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.

Sarah was Rochdale’s Member of Youth Parliament for 2017/18 and is an extremely active member of the Youth Cabinet. She takes a full and active role in the youth service and has attended a House of Commons debate where she fought for mental health awareness and support, reform of GCSE re-sits and transport issues.

Sarah has secured funding for two additional mental health support workers in Rochdale.

She has successfully fundraised for important causes to her such as Springhill Hospice for end-of-life-care and has inspired Neeli Mosque, where she volunteers, to do the same.

Councillor Kieran Heakin, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Sarah has done lots of amazing work with our youth service and she fully deserves the recognition this prestigious award gives her, she should be very proud of her hard work, she is a great role model for young people.”

Sarah will now be invited to a ceremony at Leeds College of Music on 28 September 2018, to receive her award and to be presented with an invitation to Althorp House, Princess Diana’s childhood home.

Sarah will now be eligible for the Legacy Award, which sees all young people who are given the Diana Award from 2017-2019 nominated in to the legacy Award to celebrate the achievements of 20 outstanding young leaders, visionaries and role models from across the world, who have demonstrated their ability to inspire and mobilise new generations to service their communities, as Princess Diana believed they could.