In terms of what I've been doing over the past few months, I have mainly been focusing on a nationwide campaign to get the Mosquito Device banned. I suspect folk will already know about the Mosquito (and may have even seen my campaign in the local papers or heard about it on Northsound). They are "anti-loitering" devices which emit a sound of such a high pitch that only those under the age of about 25 can hear them. The idea is that teenagers who are hanging about a shop or other building will move away when the device is in use. However, this is clearly discriminatory, does nothing for the relationship between young people and other members of the community and punishes all of us for the actions of a tiny minority. It also has particularly distressing effects for young people with autism.

As part of this campaign I have been working with MPs, MSPs, councillors and council officials, pressure groups including Liberty the human rights organisation and the National Autistic Society, as well as other MSYPs and young campaigners on the same issue in other parts of the UK, to gain support for the proposed ban. I took the campaign to the Scottish Youth Parliament at the start of March and presented a motion entitled "Mosquito devices should be banned" which won the support of 88% of MSYPs. As a result, I will be taking my campaign to the Scottish Parliament later this year, where I will address the Public Petitions Committee and hopefully in future speak to the relevant committee of MSPs. As something I very much believe in, I am proud to be taking a stand and at the level of support the campaign has.

Locally, I have been continuing to take the lead in trying to get a dedicated youth facility in Stonehaven. Plans are now afoot to set up a social enterprise with a view to getting something up and running within the next year. I am now also a Youth Representative on Stonehaven and District community council, making sure that young people have a voice in decision-making at a local level.

Although the Raise Your Voice! tour has been postponed, I would very much like to hear what is going on in the Mearns and how I could get involved in helping with things down there. Whether it is to do with the Mearns Youth Consultation and anything within that which has yet to be acted upon or whether there are more pressing issues facing you and all the young people in your area, I'd be delighted to hear how things are going and how I can assist. Please do not hesitate to email me with anything as and when it comes up - 

andrew.deans.msyp@sypmail.org.uk