Stroud's Youth Council was set up five years ago to give young people a chance to have their voices heard. Having just been elected as their new leader 15-year-old Ceri Wills is busy settling into her new role. Reporter Sian Davies spoke to her about politics and young people.

CERI Wills was elected to lead the youth council - replacing former Stroud High School pupil Frankie Rushton - last month.

The 15-year-old student has been part of the council for two years having joined her school council when she was 12.

"It's a really good way to get young people involved in issues they wouldn't normally be part of," she said.

"Teenagers don't often get involved in politics because they don't think it's interesting but it is important as it affects everything we do."

Ceri, who lists playing the piano and netball among her hobbies, has high ambitions and plans to stand for the national Youth Parliament later this year.

"I like having the responsibility and like representing other people my age," she said.

The Youth Council, which has an annual budget of £10,000, and is made up of representatives from schools and youth clubs, represents 10,000 young people in the district.

Members recently fought for improved transport links and campaigned to have the age of adult bus fares increased.

But Ceri, who enjoys visiting Stroud's new bowling hall and cinema in her spare time, believes one of the biggest issues facing young people is the pressure to achieve in exams.

"There are so many things affecting young people but one major thing is the pressure to do well in GCSEs and A-levels," she said.

"Everyone keeps saying exams are getting easier because all we can do is sit the tests they put in front of us," she added.

Ceri, who recently spent the day with SDC leader Chas Fellows to discuss her new position, also gets angry at the way teenagers are stereotyped in the media.

"Teenagers do get a bad press these days and are always stereotyped as hanging around drinking and wearing hoodies," she said.

"There are so many nice young people too, it's just a small minority who behave like that."

In the coming year Ceri - who lives in Slimbridge with her parents Nia and Steve, brother Matthew, 14, and sister Sarah 17, and attends Rednock School, Dursley - wants to try and include more people in the council.

* If anyone would like to raise an issue for the Youth Council to look into they should contact the representative for their school or youth club.