Mete Coban became the London Borough of Hackney’s youngest ever councillor at the age of 21 when still a university student. And he helped set up the charity MyLifeMySay to engage young people in politics when he was only 20.
Today at 23 he is full-time Chief Executive of the charity, a very active councillor, and scout for Southampton Football Club.
“Compared to a year ago it’s easy!” Mete says. “Then I was still doing the Master’s degree, working on Sadiq Khan’s campaign to be Mayor of London and holding down a job in a bank as well. I’m not someone to sit at home. I value my social life but I get a buzz out of working.”
Mete is on a mission to modernise politics so that young people find it easy to get involved. He says when asked what they would like to change, whether the daily commute or global warming, they see it as issue based, that “you don’t need to be a politician to do politics”.
He is impressed by the way Greenwich prepares students for the world of work: “For instance, my charity works with Greenwich Bright, the university’s own employment agency – so we get our work done by very innovative young people, while the students get paid and pick up great work experience. I love that.”
“The best thing about the University of Greenwich is the relationship with lecturers and the support they give. It was 100% important to my development. I didn’t just get an education, I found clarity of purpose.”
“My politics lecturer challenged my views in order to make me think. It was a safe environment where I could work out what I stood for and what to do about it. That’s when I decided to stand as a councillor.”
As Chief Executive of My Life My Say, Mete founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Better Brexit for Young People and helped contribute to the increased turnout of young people at the 2017 UK General Election.
In 2018 he received the UK Government’s National Democracy Change-Maker of the Year Award and was shortlisted for One Young World Politician of the Year 2019, which celebrates the most impressive, impactful, young politicians around the world. In the same year he was also awarded the alumnus of the year award at a special ceremony in the Painted Hall.
Mete was recognised for his services to young people with a MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours List.
