By Bronagh MiskellyIt's not often you visit Hogwarts or meet a future secretary general of the United Nations and certainly not in the same lunchtime.
But that is one of the great things that can happen when you attend events around children and young people.
This week the Associate Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children and Care Leavers held a reception for its supporters involving about 70 young people. The venue was the House of Commons Speaker's public appartments - with a heavy oak door, gothic stone corridors, a staircase rising between walls crammed with portraits plus a roaring fire and enormous Chrismas tree, it was rapidly rechristened Hogwarts.
But there was someone more impressive than Harry Potter among our number.
As always with such events there were the "well-chosen" words of the politicians. Speaker John Bercow encouraged the young people to take and interest in politics, the Associate Parliamentary Group's chair Helen Southworth spoke about the group and children's minister Dawn Primarolo talk about the government's commitment.
Then came the star turn, Speaker Bercow invited questions from the audience and a smartly dressed young man raised a hand. He didn't have a question he explained but rather some remarks he would like to share - could he join the speakers?
Then came the most accomplished speech of the event (completely without notes). Amadou Bah explained that he is in care and that he is chair of his local children in care committee. He also has a conditional place to study poltics and internation raltions at university with a view to having the top job at the UN one day. He explained that politicians had a great opportunity and repsonsibility to help disadvantaged young people and gave his assessment of government acheivements - trying but could do better.
I wouldn't put it past Amadou to appear at the UN one day but in the mean time, his is a voice that those thinking about looked-after children and care leavers should seek out.
Amadou Bah with (from left) Dawn Primarolo, John Bercow and Helen Southworth
Then came the star turn, Speaker Bercow invited questions from the audience and a smartly dressed young man raised a hand. He didn't have a question he explained but rather some remarks he would like to share - could he join the speakers?
Then came the most accomplished speech of the event (completely without notes). Amadou Bah explained that he is in care and that he is chair of his local children in care committee. He also has a conditional place to study poltics and internation raltions at university with a view to having the top job at the UN one day. He explained that politicians had a great opportunity and repsonsibility to help disadvantaged young people and gave his assessment of government acheivements - trying but could do better.
I wouldn't put it past Amadou to appear at the UN one day but in the mean time, his is a voice that those thinking about looked-after children and care leavers should seek out.
Amadou Bah with (from left) Dawn Primarolo, John Bercow and Helen Southworth
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