User:Danira adams/sandbox/Angelica Olawepo

Angelica Omolara Olawepo (born 13 March 1998) is a British-Nigerian young politician, singer and social activist. She served as the first Young Mayor of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, after being elected in February 2015, and was specially invited to dine with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh in 2015.

She first became involved in politics when she joined the Barking and Dagenham Youth Forum in 2014 in which she was also the Deputy Chair. She begun regularly attending several meetings with councillors and leaders to consider and improve services for young people of the borough. As part of her role, she served as a Young Inspector who carried out undercover inspections of health services available and catering to young people of Barking and Dagenham.

Angelica is a well-known activist who directly petitioned for the Young Mayor scheme to be introduced. After writing to Margaret Hodge MP, proposing the introduction, Angelica's suggestions were considered and ochestrated by Hodge, along with the Leader of the Council, Darren Rodwell, and the Mayor, Elizabeth Kangethe. Following the introduction, Angelica was elected by 60 members of the Forum to assume the role as Young Mayor. Shortly after she started a charity appeal in support of Young Minds Mental Health Charity, which lasted through her term, until her resignation in May 2016.

She is heavily involved in volunteering for charities and organisations like Richard House Hospice, St. John's Ambulance, Teenage Cancer Trust, Dagenham Food Bank and more. She won the Student of the Year Award at Barking Abbey School 2014 for her excellent work in History and has gained many awards and honors from the likes Barking and Dagenham Council, Latham & Watkins and British Airways.

Early life & Career
Angelica was born into a Yoruba family, in Lagos, Nigeria, to parents who were previously living in Britain through the 80s and 90s. She moved to London and attended Dorothy Barley Junior School until 2009, and Barking Abbey School, before studying A-levels at Barking Abbey Sixthform.

Seeking legal experience and exposure, Angelica has completed selective Law programmes facilitated by the London School of Economics, Cambridge University, King's College London and more. Angelica worked at O2 in Customer Service in 2015 and started her own business in 2015, called Reine Collection, which specialises in providing luxury beauty services.