Eco-activist Freya Orendecki has been named as Southampton's new Children's Mayor.

Aged ten and attending Fairisle Junior School, Freya was announced as the mayor in a ceremony at the Lord Mayor's Parlour on July 17.

The Children's Mayor initiative is held yearly and allows year 5 pupils the chance to devise projects targeting the improvement of young residents’ lives in Southampton.

The overall goal of the scheme is to allow primary school-aged children an opportunity to grasp the council's democratic process and contribute to their local community.

A group comprising of the Lord Mayor, council officers, and Southampton's Youth Council select the winner.

The chosen Child Mayor gets to attend significant events alongside the Lord Mayor, symbolising all primary school-aged children.

Freya, in her application, expressed her goal to prioritize recycling, upcycling, and re-using during her term as the Children's Mayor.

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Her key objective is to detract littering and cut down on pollution in Southampton through the provision of decorated bins. She received her robes in a city ceremony attended by council teams, the Lord Mayor, and her headteacher.

Freya said: "We all need to make changes to help our planet and protect our futures. I’m hoping that my ideas will not only make a difference to our environment but also the young people of Southampton by getting children to be creative and learn new skills."

The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Southampton, Councillor David Shields said: "It is wonderful to have Freya on board. We had some strong applications this year, but Freya’s ideas impressed us all. I share her vision for keeping Southampton clean, safe and tidy and I’m really looking forward to working with her this year."

Councillor Alex Winning, cabinet member for children and learning said: "I am really excited to hear what Freya has planned for the year ahead. It is clear she is incredibly passionate about where she lives and protecting our planet and I feel a lot of people can take huge inspiration from her. We are all so proud of our Children’s Mayor initiative as it gives primary school aged children a voice and a small insight into how the council operates to benefit our local people."