A group of young people from some of the poorest communities in Scotland fly out to the World Cup of Friendship in South Africa today, backed by church workers.

The Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, has insisted that young people should be allowed a greater role in the democratic process. She pitched for the youth vote on BBC Radio 1.

The Methodist Church is on the brink of becoming the first British denomination to employ an elected full-time Youth President. The plan is part of a wide-ranging scheme to put young people’s voices at the heart of the Methodist Church.

Teenagers in England are contributing £300 million each year to the economy, through voluntary work and donations to charity, a report by the Evangelical Alliance has found.