A BUDDING teenage politician from Dunmow has been thanked for all the hard work she has done for Essex.

Lou Lou Mitchell, 13, is a member of the Young Essex Assembly (YEA) – a group of 75 young people aged from 11-19 who have been elected to represent all young people in Essex and campaign to make a positive difference to their lives.

The YEA discusses bullying, crime, drugs and alcohol, education and negative images of young people.

Lou Lou told the Broadcast that the opportunity to be a part of the YEA arose from a chance e-mail a year before she was elected.

“I e-mailed county councillor Susan Barker in 2009 to ask about Parliament as I am interested in how things are done, how they can be done differently and different people’s views on the same subject.

“When she found out that Uttlesford was under represented in the YEA she asked if I would like to stand for a place. I got the whole school behind me and was voted in when I was in Year 7.”

After her first year a ceremony was held to thank all the members for the work they have done this year and give them an opportunity to presentation what they have been working on.

The Helena Romanes School student is currently working on ways to deal with exam stress, a problem which affects most teenagers.

“I think this is problem that almost everyone has to deal with so I am pleased to be trying to help. We are trying to come up with an application for the iPod and iPad which will give advice on how to deal with exam stress.”

Despite the extra work on top of her school work, Lou Lou sees this as a “brilliant opportunity” in fulfilling her dream of a seat in Parliament.