New Children's Mayor of Leeds vows to 'champion mental health' after winning tight election

The New Children’s Mayor of Leeds has vowed to “champion mental health” after winning a tight election.

Bahrawar Ahmad, 10, a pupil at Dixons Trinity Chapeltown, was unveiled as the new Children’s Mayor of Leeds for 2026-2027 in a ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall.

It followed a closely fought election, which saw 7,543 children cast two votes each - totalling 15, 087 votes among the 11 candidates shortlisted.

Bahrawar’s winning manifesto focused on mental health support, saying: “One in five young people experienced a mental health condition that seriously affected their life”.

“I feel honoured to have been elected as the Children's Mayor of Leeds this year, and I am so grateful to everybody who has supported and believed in me along the way,” the Children’s Mayor of Leeds, Bahrawar Ahmad, said.

“I'm excited to work with the Leeds Children's Mayor team and use this incredible platform to champion mental health, bring my manifesto to life and make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people across Leeds.”

Bahrawar becomes the 23rd Children’s Mayor of Leeds, with the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Stephen Holroyd, officially announcing his appointment at the Civic Hall event on Tuesday, October 13.

During the event, the candidates read their manifestos, each reflecting one of the Child Friendly Leeds 12 Wishes and tackling issues such as SEND inclusion in sport, the importance of play, climate change, and inclusion.

Get the biggest Leeds headlines direct to your inbox every day - sign up to our newsletter

As part of his manifesto speech, Bahrawar gave special thanks to his father, family, teachers and peers for their help and support throughout the election process.

Bahrawar’s first ceremonial role as the new Children’s Lord Mayor will see him attend the annual Concord/Peacelink Peace Service at Leeds Civic Hall today, together with the Lord Mayor of Leeds and other dignitaries.

The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Stephen Holroyd, said: “The Children’s Mayor programme is a fantastic way of engaging and teaching young people about the democratic process while highlighting how their actions can influence change on a wide range of issues that directly affect them.

“I really enjoyed listening to the manifesto presentations made by each of the candidates and was amazed by their passion, in-depth understanding and ideas to tackle complex issues. Each finalist is truly inspirational, and they should all be extremely proud of their achievements.

“Congratulations to Bahrawar on his election, and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months in championing mental health, an issue close to my own heart.”

The children’s mayor programme is designed to help young people from across Leeds develop a greater understanding of democracy and the importance of voting, as well as thinking about the role they could play in improving communities.

The programme aligns with Leeds City Council’s Child Friendly Leeds initiative to create a city where every child and young person feels they have a voice.

Last year, the programme was extended to enable electively home-educated children to participate in submitting manifestos alongside year five pupils in Leeds primary schools.