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#YouthVoiceNews: Bitesize | 4th February 2026

Editor

Welcome to #YouthVoice News & Opps – a regular roundup from the world of youthvoice, participation, and influence. This week’s  edition includes:

#YouthVoiceNews is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer. Join 600 who subscribe to get this Newsletter via LinkedIn and access to back issues, for free here.

NEWS

⚡Government Guidance on Youth Voice In Government Policy Making reissued – Guidance developed by DCMS to help policy officials involve young people aged 11 to 18 and sometimes up to the age of 25 (depending on the specific types of opportunity and group being engaged) in policymaking. Read more here. First issued in 2023, this update was published last week 29/1/26, as three documents: Getting ready to involve young people in policy, How to work with young people in policy, and  Methods for engaging young people. They were co-created with young people, government departments and youth sector organisations. Presumably circulated to all Government Departments as part of the Government’s commitment to engaging young people in policy making. It includes a call to be aware and listen to new issues on yp’s agenda, as well as informing and influencing the Governments. [Hope to write a more detailed Review, taking account of the Youth Strategy’s commitment to establish a youth panel to hold Govt to account. We are possibly edging towards a set of min standards to gather evidence. Ed/JC]

Spotlight: The National Lottery Community Fund: developing its approach to Youth Voice 28/1/26, “From decision-making to culture change” Youth Voice has shaped how the National Lottery Community Fund has operated for many years. Joe Rich,  Head of Youth Voice, shares their approach, why culture change matters as much as decision-making, and how young people influence funding, governance and ways of working.  Read More  [Recommended Read/Ed]

⚡Votesat16Watch: Elections Bill could be published soon. Legislation has been promised this parliament, but despite not being included in the current parliamentary timetable, it could still be published in advance tof he May elections. This is when Flexible Voting pilots will be piloted – mobile voting points – which is one of the innovations electoral reform lobbyists and V16 campaigners have been asking for – eg in schools.  The next formal state opening of the next parliamentary session, when legislation would be passed, is May 26.

YCUK elections are underway for the new youth councils Management Board. Voting delegates from 170+ founding member orgs will be reading manifestos and casting their votes in the coming weeks to elect young people aged 16-25 to the new ‘board’. The roles will include a Chair and Vice-Chairs, as well as new UK Young Ambassadors to Europe and the Commonwealth.  “There is an emphasis on inclusivity, sustainability, and authenticity. Purposefully, the new Youth Council UK is not replicating old models but building something that can last and reach diverse youth. Adults will provide guidance and support, but the council is youth-led. Members set their own priorities, run projects, and have a genuine say in how things are done”.  For more information about YCUK click here or to find out if your organisation is a member, contact ycuk@nya.org.uk

Future Leaders UK – takes over 200 young people* to Parliament to hear from and talk with its patron Wes Streeting MP, Secretary for Health and Social Care. “Civic engagement only becomes real when young people experience leadership and institutions first-hand” Gabriel Kaabianpour, Head of Partnerships. Read More here about what Wes had to say to them about having their voices heard.

Youth (Voice) Strategy Watch: DCMS Youth Team Newsletter/January 2026: Packed with news about DCMS-supported initiatives and resources, including #youthvoice impact and opportunities. CONTENTS include: Youth Strategy roadshow – links to share with young people to register/attend Youth Strategy presentations; (also ones for “professionals”); presentation slides & toolkit; Erasmus+ news; AND a link where you can sign up direct to the Newsletter. [#YouthStrategyPromisesWatch – “thumbs up!” – Ed]

Call for Evidence

State of Child Health: Call for evidence 

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) are seeking examples of children and young people’s engagement, views and wishes on preventable poor health outcomes to build an evidence base on the state of child health in the UK. We are inviting you to share with us examples of published and unpublished youth engagement to help us understand the solutions to help young people stay healthy, happy and well, and what action they’d like to see UK Governments do to achieve this. If you have anything relevant to share, then please complete this MS Form which provides further details on what we’re seeking and how we will use the information to support our work: State of Child Health: Call for evidence  – Fill in form. The deadline to submit is Friday 13 February 2026 and if you have any questions about this work then please contact Olivia Lam olivia.lam@rcpch.ac.uk

Recommended Reads

⚡Youth Futures Group open letter to Government. In December, young ambassadors of the Youth Futures Foundation wrote a detailed open letter to HM Govt calling for younger voices to be heard on employment issues – with six calls to action. These include “Co-designed systems with lived experience at the centre: Young people, especially those from marginalised and care-experienced backgrounds, should be directly involved in shaping training and employment support programmes. Our insights should be a foundation, not an afterthought”. Read letter here. [Note: very relevant to the Govt guidance on how Gov departments should engage youth voice on shaping policy above. Who will check? For example – have they received a reply and response to the 6 Action Points? Ed]

Recommended Reads: Editor’s pick from #youthvoice influencers/commentators on LinkedIn.

⭐Samuel Remi-Akinwale ; Profile spotlight on Young Manchester’s youngest CEO of this exceptional youth-led charity, talking to Brabners. At just 25, Samuel leads a partnership of 160+ organisations built on a simple belief: real change happens when young people govern, not just advise.
Last year, his team gave 113 young people direct control over £230,000 in local funding. They questioned, debated and decided where the money went. For Samuel, “agency is a strategic asset.” Read the article here.

⭐Jordan Ignatius – on the Voice of the Child Conference and how we must make sure  ‘youthvoice’ is not just a buzzword “Let’s be clear, listening to children and young people ISN’T the work… Acting on what they say is”. Read more

⭐Rylie Sweeney – youthvoice champion and policy advisor, on how Germany embeds youth voice in Government policy making,”Young people and youth organisations are present at the point where decisions are made. In many places, they hold formal voting rights. Youth insight does not feed into the system from the outside; it is embedded within local governance itself”.  Read more

⭐Kirsty Young  – Senior Lecturer, Sydney, Aus. Latest research on the inclusivity of youth advisory boards. Are they? Whose missing?  Read more

OPPORTUNITIES to “mobilise your youthvoice”

YOUTH VOICE OPPORTUNITIES

⚡Youth Council UK –  electorate/delegates  Over 170+ founder members have been sent election packs on how to nominate candidates to the Youth Councils new interim Management Board. These will be voted on by young delegates (aged up to/inc 25) chosen / selected / elected by each founder member according to size. Information about the size of the committee, the electorate, the deadlines have not yet been made public on the website but if you want to be a delegate/voter then ask your youth organisation if they are members already, and how they will be selecting nominations and voting delegates as soon as possible.

For more info or to find out if your organisation is a member, contact ycuk@nya.org.uk

⚡Economist Education Foundation – Votes at 16+ Have Your Say Survey “We want to hear from as many UK-based 11–18-year-olds as possible.

Do the young people in your life have an opinion on lowering the voting age? Help us get their views on the map by sharing this quick, anonymous survey. Their anonymous responses will feed into a national “Vote Confident” report, helping to amplify young people’s voices in the debate around votes at 16.🗓️ Survey open: 26 Jan – 13 Feb🔗 Take part here: https://lnkd.in/eyTHfBeq Please share this survey, build it into assembly, form time or lessons, and encourage colleagues and parents in your network to do the same. Need ready-made assembly or form-time slides to start discussions about what young people need to vote confidently? 📩 Email foundationteam@economist.com.

Health: Age 7-25+ Have you say to prioritise what area of health decision-makers in the NHS should prioritise by casting your vote (link below) for either 1. “Support for your Physical Health”, 2. “Support for you Emotional Health & Wellbeing”, 3. “Support to feel confident and ready to manage booking your appointments, get your prescriptions or visit health services on your own”, OR 4.”Giving your ideas & getting involved in shaping health services to meet your needs” More details online including access to a symbols ballot, online ballot form, a presentation to use with groups and details of next steps and further background to the project. Any questions or queries on this element please email allison.guiton@rcpch.ac.uk  Deadline 15th Feb 

⚡Youth Futures Foundation is recruiting 18-24 yr-olds who have faced challenges when trying to get or keep a job, and as Future Voice Ambassadors, want to help change the system for young people?  £14.80 / hour! Info about Future Voice here. and this opportunity, including the link to the Application Pack . The deadline to apply is Sunday 22nd February 2026.  Plus read this blog: Five Reasons to Join the Future Voices Group.

⚡The National Lottery Fund Young Advisors : We’re looking for young people across England and Northern Ireland to join us as Youth Voice Advisors. You will use your lived experience, insights, and ideas to help us make sure young people are properly represented in the work we do. This is a chance to lead change, build experience, and make sure young people’s views drive real impact. This paid role runs from March 2026 to March 2027, with an average commitment of to 10 hours per month. Email recruitment@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk to apply. Applications close Sunday 8 February. NOTE SHORT DEADLINE. [Ive emailed TNL to ask if this could be extended as the advert was only posted yesterday. Ed]

Kids in Museums remote volunteering opp for ages 16-25 🚨”We’re looking for six young people who are passionate about heritage and culture to join the Kids in Museums Youth Panel. We especially want to hear from• Young people from global majority and working-class backgrounds • D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young people • Anyone based in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales Deadline: 5pm, Friday 13 February” Find out more and apply: https://lnkd.in/eJjmnHty

⚡Trustee positions – Interested in becoming a trustee? Only 3% of trustees are under the age of 30. Find under-30-friendly trustee boards through the Young Trustees Movement

If you have a #youthvoice opportunity coming up, drop us a line info@y oungvoicesheard.org.uk

SUPPORTERS OPPORTUNITIES

⚡SparkSpace is finally here! After months of co-creation with children and young people, Libraries Rising are excited to launch SparkSpace, a training platform designed to help library teams meaningfully engage and empower young people. Built in partnership with Participation People, SparkSpace is packed with practical tools, interactive learning modules, and resources to give library staff and volunteers the confidence to create spaces where young people feel understood, empowered and inspired. Thanks to legacy funding from the Foyle Foundation, SparkSpace is free and open to anyone! Access the training now: https://lnkd.in/eKdFrAvz. Connect&Watch the video here.

⚡The Politics Project – Exploring Elections:  helps you support young people to engage confidently with upcoming elections in England. We’ll cover practical ways to start conversations about voting, how to discuss issues important to your area, and guide young people through registering to vote. With local elections taking place across the country in May 2026, this training is ideal for youth practitioners preparing first-time voters for the elections ahead. We are running this training twice for youth practitioners, all online. Please sign up to the session most convenient to you: Youth Practitioners: Wednesday 25th Feb, 1.00 -2:30 pm, sign up here  |Tuesday 10th March, 11-12:30, sign up here 

⚡Centre for Youth Voice: Free Training and Events timetable

February 24th – Community of Practice: Evidencing Impact and Change of Youth Voice: We’re bringing organisations together to look at how we collectively evidence the impact of youth voice.

Multiple dates – Involving Young People in Services: Professor Kaz Stuart is delivering three training sessions around creating opportunities, supporting, and evaluating young people’s involvement in services

Multiple dates – Peer Research Toolkit Training: Based on the toolkit, we are delivering 90-minute training sessions on different aspects of the peer research approach, with presentations and Q&As.

The Centre for Youth Voice is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and delivered by the Network of Regional Youth Work Units. Note: Publications/Resources are on the opening page and scroll down :).

⚡ REVIEW: Peer Research Toolkit Training: Intro to Peer Research⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

⚡ The Centre for Youth Voice is running a series of eight free one-hour recorded “lectures” (dates and booking details below)  on the Centre’s recently launched toolkit resource. This review is based on attending the first session.

“I attended the introduction module, the first in a series of eight between January and April 2026. Presenter Matthew Walsham delivered a well-paced and thorough talk referencing a series of slides which had just enough text, engaging graphics, and sources to follow up. I particularly liked the combination of his talking head in front of the slides – as if in a lecture theatre. If you missed anything or want to study them in detail you can browse and pause the recorded versions of the sessions, which are due to be circulated. I was particularly impressed with the section that explained the choice and scope of youthvoice theories, which neatly placed the role of peer researchers into context to help you decide who, where and when to deploy this methodology. There was also time for Q&As at the end. The rest of the course promised to cover everything from budgeting to impact, and if the sessions are of the same quality as the introduction, I would say it’s time well spent checking them out! ” James Cathcart.

RESOURCES:

⚡Involving Young People: A Toolkit for Peer Research- free, produced by the Centre for Youth Voice, 2025. See Opportunities for training dates. Intro and link to download here. “Too often in the past, research in the youth sector has traditionally been done on young people, treating them as subjects to be studied. However, a growing consensus, across a range of sectors, recognises that young people are often the best-placed experts to investigate the issues affecting their lives”

⚡ShoutOut Uk LONDON – Newsletter/Resource: #NoVoteNoVoice is the GLA Civic & Democratic Participation Programme. Read Newsletter here to access: Political literacy resources, Events update and Ways to stay connected all year round.

⚡Resource/ Training – Gamifying Democracy, The Politics Project

“This training is ideal for youth practitioners and teachers looking for meaningful, practical, and enjoyable ways to bring politics to life with young people. In this training, we’ll share games and activities you can use in youth settings to start conversations about politics and democracy. Designed for group settings in informal spaces, youth clubs, and classrooms, these games help young people explore their power, voice and their ideas for change. The easy-to-use games we’ll share in the training are specifically designed to support young people to explore their power and agency, their ideas and opinions about local, national and global topics, and their emotions towards politics and politicians. We are running this training three times, all online. Sign up asap:

For other YVH recommended resources, go to the www.YoungVoiceHeard.org.uk main website / RESOURCES.

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