Welcome to #YouthVoice News and Opportunities – a regular roundup from the world of youthvoice, participation and influence
This week: 5yr Youth Voice lottery grant | Campaign ‘silenced’ | Govt Youth Strategy – latest | Votes16 campaigns launch – ‘its not whether but how’ | plus lots of opportunities .. with thanks to Youth Opportunities co-founded by Molly Taylor and Rorey Scriven | YouthVoice News is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer.
YOUTHVOICE HEARD – NEWS
⚡Regional Youth Work Network awarded 5 year Lottery grant YouthVoice grant “to upscale our work enabling the diverse voices of marginalised and disadvantaged young people to change services and policy regionally. This will build a consistent approach, increasing the impact on services designed with, and, for young people.” More details on what and how Amplify: Regional Youth Voices in Action | PYL Joe Rich, Head of the Youth Voice Team at the lottery posted on LinkedIn that she’s excited to see “one of the first UK Funds Youth Voice applications launch” so can we expect to see more grants announced soon? Watch this space.
Comment: The English regional youth work network have a strong track record in delivering youthvoice regionally and supporting it locally – especially but not exclusively in youth work and civil engagement settings. Their network (and partnerships in the devolved nations) has established them as the go to delivery infrastructure for national voice (UK Youth Parliament since it was founded) and supporting the local membership of the national youth council (British Youth Council) and have developed specialist knowledge and practice in democratic representation and inclusion”. Ed/JC
Bite Back’s award winning billboard campaign calling out the practice of advertising junk food to children, has been effectively silenced by the advertising industry after being rejected by two of the UK’s biggest outdoor advertising companies — JCDecaux and Global. According to BiteBack they “have issued blanket refusals due to what they deem ‘political messaging’. ” The youth-led movement’s message: “We’ve bought this ad space so the junk food giants couldn’t – we’re giving kids a commercial break.” But it seems the message hit too close to home. In what young activists are calling “outright censorship,” two of the UK’s advertising giants, JCDecaux and Global have now pulled the campaign — months after giving initial approval. JCDecaux’s reversal came just days before the ads were due to launch, despite the campaign being fully compliant with rules set by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP). This makes it near-impossible for Bite Back to access outdoor space — while brands like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Cadbury remain plastered across the country. The block comes just days after the same campaign was awarded the prestigious Sheila McKechnie Best Consumer Campaign award in recognition of the power of Bite Back’s direct challenge to Big Food.
Comment “I remember when some of the campaigns that I was responsible for delivering at the British Youth Council on behalf of its members, raised eyebrows with the target audience, particularly if that was the Government itself (e.g. Save Our Youth Services from Cuts) who also funded the charity with significant grants (for Youth Voice/UKYP programmes) but they generally respected the right of young people to have their say and welcomed the challenge. Even when the ‘chill effect’ of charity guidance was introduced to limit what charities could say during election campaigns, we clarified that for a ‘youth voice’ organisation, that because it was the core task of the charity to offer a platform and campaign – they were not limited in what they could campaign on. However – when the campaign can have a commercial impact and the target audience is the public who might change their spending habits – there could be commercial interest and opposition. . This Bite Back story both highlights the obvious question of why something that was approved, was withdrawn having already been approved to meet stands, and what is the definition of ‘political’ messaging grounds. Does this have broader implications for other youth voice/led campaigners and their hosting charities? Does it need to be challenges and will the architects of a refreshed national voice council need to ensure that its constitution/purposes include campaigning and support for youth social action (activism?) within the usual limits of free of speech. As the power of youth voice grows it might find more resistance to its messages – especially if they catch the publics imagination like this s one had – even winning an award! On the other hand – if this story gets mainstream coverage it might boost the campaigns profile – especially if a high profile backer of like Jamie Oliver, expresses support?
Govt Youth Strategy – latest
Govt (DCMS) Youth (Voice) Strategy: The 10 Year Youth Strategy, coordinated by DCMS and being co-produced with input from young people and sector experts, is due to publish an interim report ‘shortly’ , but world events and a busy parliament programme have probably pushed back any formal announcement and release – but some details are emerging about the role of youth voice in the process. @YouthUnited (who have representation on the Youth Expert Group) posted the following on Instagram this week.
“Over the past year, young people from across the country have been shaping the National Youth Strategy, and their voices are making a real impact… This is more about being part of the conversation, contributing to decisions, and having a say in how things are done”
➡️Helped write the vision for the strategy
➡️Shared big ideas on mental health, youth safety, and the cost of living
➡️Pushed for more youth spaces, support from trusted adults, and better access to services
➡️Called out the need for a real youth voice, local and national
➡️Influenced a strategy built on 14,000+ youth survey responses and counting.
Comment: Previous strategy consultations at DCMS have been limited in their influence to cover the remit of youth team within the department (youth voice / youth services) but the new Government, through the terms of reference of the consultation and backing of the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy MP, has raised expectations about its ambition to address a broad range of issues – not just youth services. The survey (completed by 14,000 plus) asked open questions and its clear that responses will need a coordinated response from a range of Government Departments for example Mental Health and Cost of Living. This underlines the call for a new Youth Minister, in a coordinating Department and Cabinet level representation. Significantly the calls for a “real” youth voice at both local and national levels reflect the need for the co-production process to be embedded and ongoing in Government as a policy principle. All of this, in the light of the introduction of votes for 16 and 17 year olds, requires Government Reform – a National Listen to respond to a National Voice. Last month word in Whitehall was that DCMS may have some of its functions – like youth policy – relocated to other departments. Lets hope the Government will grasp this opportunity to review its priorities in favour of youth and relocate youth strategy. The last time a Government Minister had such ambition (Loughton/Positive Youth Strategy) his plans were derailed by the PM (David Cameron) who launched his own projects via the Cabinet Office (The National Citizen Service and Step Up To Serve/iwill programme which both had cross party support and outlasted the merry-go-round of junior Ministers who replaced Loughton. For any Youth Strategy to have an impact (and some resource from the Chancellor!) it must be championed by No 10 so that one day we will see regular meaningful dialogue between UK wide young representatives in the Cabinet Room of No 10 chaired by the PM, and attended by relevant Ministers whose polices affect youth including Education. (He has already chaired single issue meetings with youth reps) Whatever the interim report says – it will be an opportunity for stakeholders to respond and influence changes to a final report and reform.
Youth Voice has final say at CYPNow Youth Work Conference
⚡”Designed By Adults – Ignored by Young People” Youth Voice has final say at Children & Young People Now Youth Work Futures Conference. A panel of young consultants from the innovative youth voice specialists Participation People, closed the event with a challenge to older folks to listen to them from the start of conversations about service delivery and participation. They engaged the audience in upbeat interactive presentation that is typical of PP, using Menti, a Quiz and Sauce. Fredrick, Megan Perkins, Azisa F., Sami Gichki and Hadyn Cutler “…didn’t just talk about youth work, they modelled the future of it. Unapologetically youth-led, real-time, and uncompromisingly human.💡 Our challenge to the sector was clear: “Youth work isn’t youth work if we’re not in the room, shaping the agenda and holding the mic. If you want to future-proof your people, your policies, and your purpose, start by making us part of the now”. One refreshing innovation was a follow up presentation resource for delegates KeyNotePortal with copies of their slides, quiz and other goodies – which YVH is posting here as a resource to anyone. What next ? Click the portal and Do the quiz! Answers in link. Question Which next gen will be bigger than Millenials? – Gen X Gen Z or Gen A? If you dont know the age ranges of any of these – click through too KeyNotePortal.
Big Issue Takeover
VOTES AT 16 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH by My Life My Say 23th June 2025
⚡The V16 campaign (Version 16) launched a called for a “systems upgrade” (Democracy) at Westminster (am) and Manchester (pm) with the aim of “holding the government accountable for its manifesto promise to extend the franchise to include 16 and 17 year-olds in all UK elections”. The campaign aims to build a youth-led movement to mobilise support to lower the voting age to 16 in all UK elections. It’s supported by 30 organisations including NUS, the National Youth Agency, the Electoral Reform Society and iwillMovement. It has being led by young people with “guidance from experts” with over a 100 of both gathered at the evening launch. The target audience for the campaign will be parliamentarians, so Andy Burham’s (Mayor of Greater Manchester) video message added significant backing to the campaign. “Young people in Manchester and across the country are already shaping our society. They’re making their voices heard, building communities and driving change. It’s time that we updated our democracy to reflect all that. That’s why I’m proud to be supporting a new national effort led by My Life My Say and partners from across the country to lower the voting age to 16 in all UK elections, V16. The campaign seeks to update democracy by installing votes at 16, trusting young people to have a say in the decisions that shape their lives….V16 is needed to rebuild trust between young people and politicians and bring them into the system. It’s about giving them a voice, hearing their perspectives and refreshing our democracy in doing so.”
Comment: Of course the Prime Minister and responsible for the legislation, Minister Rushanara Ali MP, have already repeated their commitment to introduce legislation in the next parliamentary session, so the main aim of this and decades of previous campaigners has already been achieved, so its likely that this is to raise the profile of young led support and to amplify other core messages of this V16 campaign during lobbying of the forthcoming parliamentary debate – including “improved civic education, digital literacy, and voter registration access for young”. As Dr Jan Eichorn, researcher from Edinburgh University said to the audience its “not whether but how”.
Youth Voice News was at the launch, interviewing young delegates and supporters, will write a special blog on this and the other UK wide campaigns. We now have three initiatives running in parallel and overlapping that are campaigning to raise awareness of the case for lowering the vote, and making sure the commitment to legislation is ‘got over the line’. The Politics Project/Democracy Classroom are focusing on putting forward best practice recommendations for Pathway to Votesat16 to Parliament. @MyLifeMySays recently launch V16 – its time for an “upload” to refresh and renew efforts to remind MPs of mass support from young people, and the latest is an alliance between Scottish Youth Parliament, NYA and UK Youth Parliament, the later having voted to make it this years priority campaign (awaiting details). Since the close of the British Youth Council, the old Votes at 16 coalition network which reached a peak of campaigning activity over 10 years ago, had dissipated. Hopefully the over-lapping campaigns – with many overlapping supporting organisations will come together in one movement. After all – “Its not longer about whether but how” and what will be needed will not only be parliamentary resilience, but public support and media coverage of the latest arguments. See Youth Voice News’s Votesat16Watch for updates from both sides of the debate. JC/Ed
⚡Votes at 16 Watch – news since Jan 25 can be found on the main Votesat16 Watch column on the main landing page of the http://www.YoungVoicesHeard.org.uk home page. YOUNG VOICES HEARD – CONSULTANCY, SHARING GOOD PRACTICE, SUPPORT SERVICES
⚡Scottish Youth Parliament celebrate 10 years of Votes at 16 in Scotland and pledge to support UK wide campaign. Ten years ago today, we just didn’t ask for votes at 16… 𝔀𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶! “After extensive campaigning, Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) and youth leaders presented evidence that allowed decision-makers to lower the voting age to 16 for Scottish Parliament and local council elections. The bill passed with unanimous support and has given young people the right to express their views on matters relevant to them, not just in theory, but in actual electoral outcomes. Although we have had votes for 16- and 17-year-olds in Scotland for a decade, this isn’t the case for young people across the UK. We are proud to be working with the National Youth Agency and UK Youth Parliament to support the ongoing call for votes at 16 to be extended to all elections across the UK!”
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES – Editors pick…Youth Opportunities 16th June edition | LinkedIn “for young people, curated by young people”. Below is just a selection of over 20 opportunities that relate to #youthvoice Advisory Board roles – but check out the full issue for lots more – and subscribe!
Youth Voice Ambassadors (uniformed groups)
⚡Youth Voice Ambassadors (Heritage) Young Voices Heard Recommended Opportunity. We have been partners with the Youth United Foundation 2021 and Heritage England since 2019, designing, delivering and advising on youth voice and project management for this partnership across uniformed organisations. Ed/JC Do you ➡️ Have experience as part of a UK uniformed youth group (as a young person or young leader). ➡️ Are aged 18-25. ➡️ Care about heritage and/or making a positive impact. ➡️ Want to help make sure Youth Voice stays central to the project. ➡️ Can give up to 15 hours this year (with quarterly online group calls likely in the evening). The Youth United Foundation – Heritage Youth Partnership is recruiting paid young Ambassadors for 25/26. Full Details of the role and opportunity here and apply here. Deadline 6th July
Advisory Boards -YVH pick..
⚡Transport for London‘s Youth Panel offers young people aged 16-25 the opportunity to help shape London’s transport future. With over 30% of London’s population under 25, the Youth Panel aims to ensure TfL delivers services that meet young people’s needs. Panel members will develop valuable skills, build confidence, and expand their networks while amplifying youth voice in transport decision-making. No prior experience is required. Apply by 30th June here.
⚡Action for Children is inviting passionate young people aged 13 to 25 from across the UK to apply for their Young Ambassadors Board, a youth-led group helping to shape the charity’s work and ensure young voices are heard at every level. As a Young Ambassador, you’ll attend monthly online meetings, contribute to key projects on issues like mental health, disability, family support, and care experience, and provide direct input to senior leaders and trustees. Members may also take part in events and campaigns, gaining valuable skills and experience along the way. The programme is free to join, with travel costs covered for any in-person activities. Deadline 30th June contacting youthvoice@actionforchildren.org.uk.
⚡Girl Guiding UK is looking for a passionate member aged 18–27 to become a Non-Executive Director on its Trading Board. This voluntary role (around 8–10 days a year for up to 3 years) is a great chance to develop leadership skills, gain board experience, and help shape the strategy of Girlguiding’s trading company, which supports the movement through retail and operations. No prior board experience is needed—just curiosity, enthusiasm, and a desire to make a difference. Apply here by 9am, Friday 4 July 2025.
⚡The Careers & Enterprise Company or CEC is the national body for careers education in England, supporting schools and colleges to deliver modern, 21st century careers education. CEC is looking to recruit a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) that reflects the diversity of young people across England, aged 14–25. Apply by 7th July here.
⚡UNESCO SDG4 Youth & Student Network 16-30? Applications are open for the 2026–2027 , a global platform for young leaders passionate about advancing quality education (SDG4). Members, aged 16–30, will contribute to education policy, advocacy, and innovation, and serve as youth representatives on the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee. The two-year term starts in January 2026, with onboarding from October 2025. Applicants must be active in a youth or student organisation related to education and free from conflicts of interest. Deadline: 10 July 2025 (midnight Paris time) Apply here
⚡Children in Scotland is inviting young people aged 8 to 22 to join its youth advisory group, Changing Our World. This group plays a vital role in shaping the organisation’s work by sharing experiences and perspectives on issues that matter to children and young people. Members participate in regular meetings—both online and in person—collaborate on projects, contribute to policy development, and engage with decision-makers. Recent initiatives have included co-chairing the annual conference, developing a paper on education and learning, and meeting with government ministers to discuss youth health concerns. This is a voluntary role with no salary, but it offers valuable experience and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Applications are open until 14 July 2025.
⚡Inclusion Scotland is recruiting Deaf and disabled people, along with unpaid carers, to join their People-Led Policy Panel (PLPP) to influence social care policies alongside the Scottish Government, empowering participants to develop new skills, build connections, and drive meaningful change in policy development. This is a mixed age group panel but applications are particularly welcome from “Young people or young carers aged 18-28 who use adult social care support or have supported someone who uses adult social care support from a young age.” Find out more here. Applications should be sent to info@inclusionscotland.org by Wednesday 16 July 2025
Trustee positions
Interested in becoming a trustee? Only 3% of trustees are under the age of 30. Find under-30 friendly trustee boards through Young Trustees Movement
VoiceBox | By young people, for young people
“The international content platform by young people for young people. Create content on the topics you care about and get paid!” VoiceBox is an international youth-led content platform and social enterprise, whose mission is to amplify the voices of young people around the world. We feature a wide variety of topics and formats of content from people aged 13-25. Become a paid content creator
RESOURCES
For YVH recommended resources go to the http://www.YoungVoiceHeard.org.uk main website / RESOURCES, or browse back issues of #YouthVoiceNews