A TEENAGER from Dinas Powys has become the first ever member of the Welsh Youth Parliament (WYP) with a lifelong progressive condition.

Seth Burke, from Dinas Powys, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and has been using respite services provided children's charity Tŷ Hafan since he was seven years old.

And now the 13-year-old has been selected as the organisation's representative in the Welsh Youth Parliament. The Welsh Youth Parliament comprises 40 members elected to represent constituencies, and 20 others selected by partner organisations, such as Tŷ Hafan.

The teenager has already made history, but has wasted no time in setting out his stall for what he hopes to achieve during his term of office.

"Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice have been helping me and my family for the last five or so years," he said.

“I’m so proud to be a Welsh Youth Parliament Member – and even prouder to be the first WYP Member who is in a wheelchair and has DMD.

"I want to be a strong voice for other children like me, for other children who use wheelchairs and for children’s hospices, and those families and friends who go above and beyond to make sure that nothing is unachievable.”

Speaking of his priorities as a WYP Member, he said: “I have five priority areas that I wish to tackle in my role."

They are:

  • Protecting our environment and the natural world;
  • Improved accessibility to public spaces for people with disabilities;
  • Tackling online bullying;
  • Addressing mental health in children and young people;
  • Increase access to free clubs that promote physical activity in children and young people.

He added: “After my three years in office, I hope to have helped to create a Wales that is more compassionate to children like myself, and to ensure that Wales’ children’s hospices get all the support they can so they can help even more young people.”

Speaking of his selection, Maria Timon Samra, chief executive of Tŷ Hafan said: “As an organisation we could not be prouder of Seth, who has been coming here for the last five years.

“We are confident that he will be a brilliant advocate not only for himself, but for other young people in his region and across Wales, as well as for Tŷ Hafan, and Wales’ other children’s hospice Tŷ Gobaith."