MEMBERS of the Youth Parliament stepped back in time on a weekend to plan campaigns for their terms in office.

The Dorset representatives joined dozens of fellow Members of the Youth Parliament at Hooke Court, near Beaminster, for the residential weekend.

They planned their campaigns, learn about their role as a member of UKYP, found out about e-safety and tried a bit of cooking, candle-making and letter-writing, Tudor style.

Staff at Hooke Court gave the 11 to 18-year-olds a glimpse of 16th-century life by showing them how to make Tudor-style biscuits and dressed them up in traditional costume.

The activities made for light relief from the challenges of planning manifestos and completing action plans for the year ahead, to represent and give young people a voice in their local area.

Woodroffe pupil Imogen Barnard, 15, said: “We took part in training, educational activities and Tudor crafts and a banquet.

“The Tudor experience was really great because it was educational and an experience that doesn’t come around often.”

She added: “The training that I received improves my activities in Youth Parliament and reminds me how I should represent the young people of Dorset.”

Fellow Dorset representatives Jamie Edge, 13, Lloyd Hatton, 16, Natasha Glendening, 15, Moya Dunne, 15 and Jake Carroll, 12, joined in the weekend.

Other residential activities included ‘Everything you need to know about being a Member of Youth Parliament’, media training, ‘political jargon busting to understand words like big society, social change, and constituencies’, Staying Safe Online, and debating topical issues such as ‘votes at 16’ and ‘cigarettes in plain packaging’.

UKYP locally is co-ordinated by the county council. The three elected MYPs and deputies meet monthly in Dorchester to campaign on issues that affect young people.