Welcome to #YouthVoice News and Opportunities – a regular roundup from the world of youthvoice, participation and influence
This week:| Paul Hamlyn invest £725,000 in youth voice in democracy…|New DWP DfE Youth Gaurantee panel | Diana Award Youth Voice Charter | UKYP annual conference | Votesat16Watch more media reaction |.. and this weeks selection of opportunities thanks to Youth Opportunities | YouthVoice News is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer.
YOUTHVOICE HEARD – NEWS
⚡My Life My Say to get Paul Hamlyn Foundation strategic investment of £725,000 over five years
Dan Lawes (Co-CEO of My Life My Say responded to the news on LinkedIn saying “This is a landmark moment for our organisation as we continue to scale our work to strengthen youth voice and participation in democracy across the UK. At a time when youth-led organisations in the democracy space have been hit hard, this long-term strategic investment signals vital trust in the sector and in My Life My Say potential to deliver lasting impact. We know that the next five years truly matter for young people’s relationship with democracy, and we’re keen to make it count.” Details of the announcement are on the Paul Hamlyn Foundation website. https://lnkd.in/e4zc4D9E
Comment “Its unusual but very welcome that a youthvoice organisation gets such substantial long-term investment which will inspire matching investment and grants. This comes at a time when the talks about replacing a British Youth Council enter its second year and Govt remain silent on a call to provide core funding for it. (It closed in Mar 24). We badly need youth-led organisations to be supported that provide secure platforms for youth-led voice to heard in this new age for youthvoice in democracy. We’re getting ‘votes at 16 ‘and organisations that specialise in democratic representation space are essential to supplement and support the enfranchisement and education process going forward. Well done MLMS, and respect to the Paul Hamlyn organisations for its vision and support.” JC/ED
⚡UK Youth Parliament Annual Conference 26-28th July
Members of the Youth Parliament from the four nations of the UK gathered at the University of Sussex last weekend for their second annual conference under the management of the National Youth Agency. The weekend is designed by UKYPs Programme Committee (formerly Steering Group/Committee). The delegates were sent messages from sponsoring Minister Stephanie Peacock MP (DCMS) and shadow Minister Mims Davies (C) who used to have that role when in Govt. Other MPs visiting included Peter Lamb (L) and Lauren Sullivan (L). A new format was introduced where young people signed up to policy Committees mirroring Government department areas of responsibility, (echoes of the Scottish Youth Parliament model) including Finance; Education/Health & Wellbeing; Transport/Science and Environment; Culture, Local Govt; Housing and Constitution; and Home Affairs, Justice and Defence. Each Committee ‘Workshop’ group discussed ‘thoughts, ideas and desires’ before shaping a number of recommendations to take forward Manifesto pledges. Committee reports were fed back to the whole conference. Its expected NYA will produce a update on the conference outcomes which may feature these policy recommendations.
Comment: The Youth Parliament chose Votes at 16 + Education is 2025 UK-wide campaign for 2025 and set up a Sub-Committee earlier in the year to take the lead. It’s expected to announce the launch of its campaign and aims shortly. UKYP is funded by DCMS until March 2026. One of the characteristics of the NYA contract has been the innovation of both the how the topics for the annual HoC debate are chosen (back to priority issues rather that one topic) and this committee structure – something Scottish Youth Parliament have been using for years, enabling a more direct way to engage Government departments in dialogue. Will that be the next step for UKYPs development? JC/ED]
⚡Govt ‘Youth Guarantee’ Advisory Panel
Earlier this month (11th July) , the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education formally launched the Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel. Through regular workshops, the panel brings together young people from our Future Voices Group alongside young ambassadors from Youth Employment UK. We’re pleased to be working with government to ensure young people play a meaningful role in shaping the Youth Guarantee. Read more. [Comment : Youth Advisory groups or panels are increasingly a feature of Whitehall departments. The new Youth Strategy co-produced consultation featured DCMS Minister Stephanie Peacock MP coordinating meetings with other department Ministers. Could its report announce the coordination of the youth advisory groups through their Chairs, in a cross Govt advisory council meeting with a Cabinet level youth minister – especially given the advent of votes at 16 and the ongoing absence of a national Youth Council? JC/Ed]
⚡Diana Award publishes their Youth Voice Charter – sets a new benchmark to hold themselves accountable
A three year project co-produced with members of the The Diana Award – Young Advisors has produced a Charter for The Diana Award organisation. It has now shared these with resources and tips so that others might follow their example. Young Voices Heard recommends organisations produce a bespoke #youthvoice policy and guidance co-produced with youth input – and this one is a good example. They decided to use the popular Lundy Model as their starting point.
Why have produced you produced a charter? “To establish The Diana Award’s commitment to ensuring that youth voice is at the centre of our work and provides a set of principles we can hold ourselves accountable to; ensure our work will use the same consistent and inclusive youth participation framework. As our work continues to evolve, this charter will ensure our work is always underpinned by youth voice. The charter will serve as a tool to aid us in tracking [performance] our successes, challenges and learnings when it comes to embedding youth voice and participation. How have they brought their charter to life? We have “1/ Refreshed our media training with input from our Young Advisors & PR Lead, 2/ Created a Safe Storytelling Toolkit just for young people, 3/ Reviewed internal policies to ensure staff support youth voices safely. They have co-produced Take a look at the Charter details and resources online co-produced alongside Young Advisor Elsa, packed with top tips and case studies from our Young Advisors project, to help others embed this principle in your work 👉 For more information, resources and background go to https://loom.ly/t89qANM
PRINCIPLE 1: PUT THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE FIRST
PRINCIPLE 2: ENSURE WORK IS INFORMED BY AND CREATED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
PRINCIPLE 3: FAIR DISTRIBUTION AND PATHWAY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
PRINCIPLE 4: ENSURE PARTICIPATION IS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE ORGANISATION
PRINCIPLE 5: SHARE POWER AND DECISION MAKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
⚡ Votesat16 Watch – EVEN more media reaction – a roundup in the last 7 days (see previous issues of #YouthVoiceNews for more) .
You will have probably seen the more obvious TV and Social Media reactions – but there has been lots more coverage for a second week across media platforms . Here are more for your reference – with lots for us to learn from both sides of the debate.
⚡Quote of the Week – Alex Nurton, (Chair of the UKYP subcommittee on Votesat16, Youth Parliament member for Surrey) on BBC News
“We’re not just adults in waiting – we’re active members of society… for everything you say we cant do there are arguments for the things we can”
For full interview watch UK Youth Parliament’s reaction to UK Government’s plans to lower the voting age to 16 | BBC News
⚡Lowering voting age could deepen class divide in schools due to lack of political literacy … The Independent “Votes at 16 is an important milestone, but without proper political education in every school, we risk widening the democratic gap between …
⚡Jardine celebrates votes at 16 as ‘first step’ to electoral reform – Edinburgh News Published 24th Jul 2025
Votes at 16 Resources
⚡NEW: Youth Work and Political Education – Policy Briefing research paper – Carole Pugh (Jul 25)
“My research shows that to effectively support the enfranchisement of 16-year-olds, voting rights must be accompanied by political education. The research demonstrates that that young people gain essential political knowledge and citizenship experiences through informal settings, and identifies practical policy recommendations that can ensure an integrated policy response that enables the democratic potential of youth work to be recognised and realised.” Policy Briefing-Youth work and political education FINAL.pdf
⚡Votes at 16 Roadmap to Votesat16: Democratic Life / Politics Project launch “Road-map to Votes at 16”
The new report: A Roadmap to Votes at 16, cross-sector vision for delivering Votes at 16 effectively across the UK, was launched in the House of Commons on 16th July. Its backed by over 40 organisations across the UK, including Young Voices Heard and its key recommendations include the:
Read more for recommendations and Ministers quotes
- Establishing a minimum entitlement to democratic education from primary through to post-16 settings.
- Supporting educators and youth practitioners with specialist training, resources and guidance.
- Modernising the curriculum to prepare young people to vote for the first time.
- Expanding opportunities for young people to engage directly with politicians and influence policy.
- Launching national youth-led communications campaigns to build a new culture of participation among first-time voters.”
- The Roadmap to Votes at 16 was funded by The UK Democracy Fund and coordinated by The Politics Project through the Democracy Classroom Network.
- ⚡Be Seen, Be Heard – Former Joint campaign with The Body Shop and UN Youth Office (in the UK was a partnership with the British Youth Council until its closure in 2024). Their research-backed strategy produced this which is shared as a potential resource – Report from The Body Shop/UN Youth Office.
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES – Editors pick…Youth Opportunities 28th July edition | LinkedIn “for young people, curated by young people”. Below is just a selection of opportunities that relate to #youthvoice Advisory Board roles – but check out the full issue for lots more – and subscribe! and Find even more opportunities on the Youth Opportunities website → youthopportunities.co.uk
Advisory Boards -YVH picks..
⚡Scotland, young women aged 16-30 Young Women Demand is a two-year initiative (2025–2027), funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Foundation, focused on political literacy, leadership, and democratic engagement among young women and non-binary people in Scotland. The project is recruiting 12 volunteers (aged 16–30) to join a new steering group. Members will help co-design an awareness campaign ahead of the 2026 election, engage with stakeholders, and create opportunities for youth political engagement. The role includes online and in-person meetings, starting with an introductory session on 28 August 2025. Applications close at 11:59pm onThursday 7 August.
⚡Join the Electoral Commission’s Youth Voice Network for Scotland and help shape the future of democracy. If you’re aged 12 to 18, live in Scotland and are keen to find out more then download our information sheet. You’ll meet (online and in-person) around four times a year to share views, create resources, and contribute to national campaigns on voting. Recruitment is open from June to September 2025. Learn more and apply here. by end of Sept 25
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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
RESOURCES
Top Pick – Tips⚡ Twelve Myths About Participation. Laura Lundy has recently posted this handy 12 point deck resource on common misconceptions around youthvoice and participation.
Top Pick – Paid ⚡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
For other YVH recommended resources go to the http://www.YoungVoiceHeard.org.uk main website / RESOURCES, or browse back issues of #YouthVoiceNews