With nominations closing on January 4th, Liberal Youth will be electing a new Chair, and several new members of the Exec team leading it forward in 2013. Thanks to the hard work and diligence of Acting Chair Harry Matthews these elections (and positions) will be online and open to all Lib Dem members who are aged 16-25, or registered students.

The New Year offers an opportunity for renewal and a new direction for our youth wing, but equally there is a risk of simply “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”.

A number of us have expressed frustrations with Liberal Youth in recent years: we are nowhere near diverse enough, we should be out campaigning much more, and our energies are too often aimed inwards instead of getting the message out on campuses across the UK and winning over new members.

But we can and should choose to be optimistic about our future. If we can engage a committed and dynamic new team then we can overcome the challenges we face and set Liberal Youth on the right course for 2013 and beyond.

So this is a shout-out to all of you who have stayed away from Liberal Youth in the past, or raised your concerns from the sideline: come into the tent and help us change and reform from within.

Whether standing for an exec position, or getting active in your own area, join us in the fight against apathy, in re-gaining ground with students and promoting our achievements to the public. Help us break out of the bunker and turn Liberal Youth into the fun, diverse and vibrant movement it should be.

* Sean Davey is the Chair of London Liberal Youth