Adam Connolly, 18, has been a member of Southend Youth Council for over three years. Being elected the Youth Mayor of Southend-on-Sea in February 2010, he made increasing the age at which children were charged adult fares on buses his main priority on his manifesto; this was successfully completed by September in his term of office. Adam has also represented young people in Southend nationally through his work acting as a member of the United Kingdom Youth Parliament (UKYP). He is currently completing his A Levels at Southend High School for Boys and, after university, his rewarding and positive efforts so far in the community have led him to plan to return to such work on a local level, if not tackling national matters. Adam is particularly interested in issues associated with sustainable development, conservation, and energy resources.