A TEENAGER who was Labour's prospective Parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale last year has been selected as a youth ambassador for an anti-poverty group.

Eli Aldridge, 19, is joining The ONE Campaign, an advocacy organisation of more than nine million people around the world whose aim is to take action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

The youth ambassador programme sees hundreds of volunteers across Europe working together to raise awareness of the charity's work.

As part of the programme, Eli will be looking to work with local MPs from across the political spectrum, news outlets, and local community members – as well as travel to Parliament to take part in large national events.

“I am really excited to begin working as a youth ambassador in my local area because I think it is important to end extreme poverty," said Eli, a former pupil at Queen Katherine School, Kendal. "Poverty transcends party politics and I look forward to working together with people across the region and the country to end global poverty."

As well as promoting the positive impact that aid has around the world he will be campaigning for more action to support women’s economic empowerment in developing countries, as well as calling on the UK to continue supporting overseas development aid.