For the very first time, tens of thousands of 16- and 17-year-olds across Wales will be able to vote in the 2021 Senedd Cymru Election. Over the next 7 months, Grug will be busy working on behalf of the Urdd to help prepare as many young people as possible for their first vote in May and collaborating with partners on engagement campaigns.
The unique post is funded by the UK Democracy Fund (through The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd).
“I’m really excited, and feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime job,” said Grug Muse on her appointment. “This is such an important election, and we need to ensure that new voters not only have the information needed to cast their vote, but that their voices are also heard by the politicians who need to win their votes.
“I aim to provide opportunities for the Urdd to educate the young people of Wales on how to cast a vote, and consequently to increase the numbers registering to vote,” adds Grug. “I will train Urdd staff to be Ambassadors and mentor young people on 16/17 and under 25 voting issues and offer opportunities for them to discuss the issues that are important to them. I want to ensure our young people exercise their democratic rights by casting their votes and play a key role in our politics today.”
Chief Executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Siân Lewis, said, “We are pleased to receive the funding support from the UK Democracy Fund and are looking forward to collaborating with others. As Wales’ largest youth organisation, the Urdd can play an important role in ensuring that as many young Welsh people aged 16-17 as possible take advantage of this opportunity to vote for the first time.
“This will be the first Senedd Cymru Election for our members aged 16-23, it is an opportunity to reach a wide cohort of young voters, through the schools, but also through our various departments – from outdoor activities and sports to apprenticeships. We will take discussions about the future of young people beyond the classroom and the Senedd Chamber and make it relevant to the day to day lives of young people.”
Grug won the Chair at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in 2013. She studied politics at the University of Nottingham and is currently completing a doctorate in Welsh Literature at Swansea University. She is one of the founders of Y Stamp magazine, an independent publication that encourages creativity in all its forms. After graduating, she lived in Spain and the USA. She has now returned to live in the Nantlle Valley.