#YouthVoiceNews 18/2: Votes at 16 reaction | A.I. research | Pupil Voice call ..

Editor

2 months ago

“Votes at 16: the UK government has a fight on its hands – but are politicians all missing the point?” …plus

⭐Votes at 16 – Govt Policy Paper & reactions
⭐Signup & get your youthvoice recognised with the #iwill Ambassadors
⭐Pupil Voice engagement survey launched by DfEducation
⭐Youth Council UK – Transition Board/Committee/Nominations still open
👀Recommended Reads – Antonia Dixey
👀Opportunities for young people – Seen & Heard roadshow..
👀Opportunities for supporters – Exploring Elections, Politics Project
👀Centre4YouthVoice – free Training & Resources
🎁Resources

Welcome to #YouthVoice News & Opportunities: your regular round up from the world of youthvoice, participation, and influence. #YouthVoiceNews is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer. Join 600 practitioners and young leaders – subscribe to get this free Newsletter via LinkedIn here. (& access back issues). And Tag Us #YouthVoiceNews or @YouthVoiceHeard so we can highlight your youthvoice

NEWS

⭐Votes at 16: the UK government has a fight on its hands – but are politicians all missing the point? Recommended Read Andy Mycock, Chief Policy Fellow at Leeds Uni, writing in The Conversation, reflects on the introduction of Representation of the People Bill. “Lowering the voting age to 16 is, on its own, no panacea to the complex causes of youth political disengagement and is unlikely to strengthen the resilience of democracy in the UK…. Indeed, there is a collective failure of political parties of all hues to accept that they are in part responsible for the current youth democratic crisis” Read more

Votes at 16 – Representation of the People Bill 2026 introduced in Commons 14th Feb [next reading Feb 23rd] is lowering the voting age to 16 for all UK elections, expanding the list of accepted voter ID and introducing more automated forms of voter registration + registration at 14; safeguarding data; the right to donate; provisions to ensure those in care & those living overseas included. “Alongside the legislative measures [we will be].. empowering and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to participate will be vital part of successfully implementing this change. We are working closely across government and with the devolved governments and civil society to develop a package of additional measures focusing on practical democratic and civic education and engagement. Read the Policy Paper here

⭐Votesat16 – Electoral Commission response. Press Release here.

⭐Reaction: “We want the right to vote for the same reason as everyone else… “Alex Nurton Youth Parliament MP joined the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ Programme to share his perspective on the Representation of the People Bill and the ongoing conversations around Votes at 16. Listen here.

👀 Votesat16Watch:

👀Samantha Dixon, Minister for Democracy discusses V16 with yp in Hackney – Are young people ready? “yes .. definitely. I think yp are much more engaged and much more thoughtful than people give them credit for”. Response from Hackney pupil “Initially I felt quite uncomfortable – I felt like I wasn’t ready – but after hearing the Govt plans and how they feel and the kind of intentions on kind of putting 16 & 17 year olds on this journey, I feel quite more comfortable on the govt’s ideas” . Roundtable facilitated by Hattie Andrews, The Politics Project – Watch here

👀 Why voting is not like drinking or smoking – Electoral Reform Society. (Voting does you no harm). A fresh argument in the debate on votes at 16 . Be prepared for lots of media attention – for and against. Read More

👀Call for Evidence on preparing yp to vote/ APPG for Schools, Learning and Assessment inquiry into how schools can enable young people to feel empowered and enfranchised in anticipation of the introduction of votes at 16. They will also be hosting oral evidence sessions to further explore the topic. The deadline for submitting written evidence is Friday 27th February 2026.

👀For more information & resources click YoungVoicesHeard/Resources/Votesat16Watch

#IWill Movement Ambassadors [Recommended for individuals who are not necessarily part of youth organisations – eg singles issues campaigners, volunteers 10-25 , UK] Each year, we recruit young people aged 10-25 as #iwill Ambassadors. Through your social action, Ambassadors inspire other young people to join the movement, and collaborate with partners and organisations, playing a pivotal role in shaping and leading change. Ambassadors come from diverse backgrounds across the UK and are provided with exclusive opportunities which develop valuable lifelong leadership skills, through the enhanced support offered by #iWill. Our 2026 Ambassador applications are now open! Apply or nominate via the link below by 29th March, when applications will close. Apply or nominate today! You can also sign up to our Live Q&A event on 3 March at 4:30 PM to learn more and hear from our current ambassadors: https://lnkd.in/eaxsDPiXSee Post and book here

⭐Inspiration Youth Awards – Short List Announced/ Voting open now, deadline 8th March. You will recognise many of the #youthvoice champions on the shortlist – get voting now! Read More / Vote Here | The categories include:

‘Young Campaigner of the Year’
‘Young Influencer of the Year’
‘Young Activist of the Year’
‘Young Leader of the Year’

⭐Pupil Voice / Dfe Pupil Engagement Framework- new survey to share programmes and practices that support pupil engagement. Deadline 27th February Read More

➡️IN BRIEF: Survey of 2000 yp on attitudes to AI . Almost all (97%) of children and young people of all ages from 8 to 17 have used AI, and many use a wide range of AI tools on a weekly, and even
daily, basis. The research, carried out for Safer Internet Day (10^th February 2026) by Nominet and the UK Safer Internet Centre, polled 2000 young people and 2000 parents and carers across the UK with questions about their attitude to the fast-evolving world of AI. #YouthVoiceHeard here Read More. And read Summary or Full Report here. [youthvoice heard in detail …Ed]

➡️IN BRIEF: Fair Education Alliance youth summit success London welcomed over 180 young people aged 11-21 who have experienced barriers in education came together for the Fair Education Youth Summit – a day designed and led by young people determined to reshape the education system. Read more [Great to see investment in in-person events again, especially youthled, Ed]

⭐Youth Council Executive Committee/Board – Over 30 nominations so far. Over 200 org have signed up as members. Read More [Nominations are still open – no closing date advertised so contact your member org as soon as possible. For more information about YCUK click here or to find out if your organisation is a member or how to get involved as a young leader/rep/campaigner contact ycuk@nya.org.uk]

Recommended Reads/Listen you may have missed last month : Editor’s pick from #youthvoice influencers/commentators on LinkedIn/Links to Podcasts…

⭐”If children didn’t have social media ….” Growing up Online – a recent Big Conversation Podcast produced by the Children’s Commissioner (Eng) “giving all children a voice” Read&Listen here

⭐Antonia Dixey – Participation Strategy? Top tips to get you started Read More

OPPORTUNITIES to “mobilise your youthvoice”

[Note – all opps are based on info by hosting organisations – whilst we endeavour to include dates, deadlines and age group – please check with the organisers]

YOUTH VOICE OPPORTUNITIES

“Catalyst Youth Festival, Slough 28 February, 4:00–8:00pm (free). “We no longer ask Speakers include Hussain Manawer, Lily Mott, Anita Okunde & Kole Gjikolaj plus workshops. Organised by beaconsoflight.co.uk (founded by Vaania Fasail), in partnership with Slough Museum. Aimed at empowering and connecting young leaders/ changemakers/ campaigners/creatives aged 15–30, alongside educators, practitioners, and community leaders supporting them and their goals for change. More info and booking – beaconsoflight.co.uk Enquiries – vaania.f1@gmail.com.” Read more

Seen and Heard Events: Young people shaped the National Youth Strategy. Now it’s time to shape what it looks like locally. Seen & Heard events are taking place across England, creating space for young people to come together with local decision-makers to turn Youth Matters into action on the ground. These youth-led sessions are facilitated by young people involved in the #iWill Movement and are open to young people aged 21 and under (up to 25 with SEND), with accompanying adults welcome. 👉 Find an event and sign up via our Youth Matters events page: https://lnkd.in/eSKk23zP Read More

⚡Youth Voice Event – East & East Midlands 📢 📅 Monday 16 February | ⏰ 10:30am–4:00pm
📍 Mansfield Folk House, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The East & East Midlands Regional Youth Work Unit is hosting a Youth Voice Event and we’re calling on young people from across the East Midlands and the youth workers who support them to take part. This free event will bring young people together to share experiences, build confidence, and influence the future of youth services. More info.

⚡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. Info about the size of the committee, electorate, the deadlines are not public yet (members only) but if you want to be a delegate/voter then ask your youth organisation if they are mems, and how they will be selecting nominations/voting delegates asap. To find out if your org is a member/more info – contact ycuk@nya.org.uk

⚡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.

⚡Another Way – (climate charity) recruiting an Advisory Board (paid £15/hr, quarterly meetings/mentor support): age 15-25? Step inside the running on an environmental charity, gain knowledge and transferable skills in governance and decision-making, be a voice for young people as we face the challenge of climate change? Deadline 27th Feb. Full details: here

⚡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@youngvoicesheard.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 free Session : 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 service

March 10th – 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.

Peer Research Toolkit Training – Session 1: Introduction to Peer Research
Tuesday 20 January, 11am – 12.30pm.
January 27th – Setup, recruitment, budgets of peer research
February 3rd – Co-designing research aims and questions
February 17th – Participatory research methods
March 3rd – Ethics, safeguarding, and data protection
March 17th – Conducting fieldwork with peer researchers
April 14th – Involving young people in analysis
April 28th – Impact and embedding participation

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 :).

⚡ RESOURCES:

⚡Democracy Classroom election resources: The @ElectoralCommUK, @SeneddWales and @childcomwales have just released some new resources to support schools to engage with the 2026 Senedd elections. To download, and to access a whole host of Wales-specific support, head DC’s Senedd Elections Hub: democracyclassroom.com/senedd-electio

⚡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”

⚡Shout Out 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: Wednesday, February 18th, 1-2.30pm]

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. Read here

⚡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. It includes a call to be aware and listen to new issues on yp’s agenda, as well as informing and influencing the Governments.

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]

⭐New Local Youth Voice research by YMCA – The State of Play report into youth services asked LAs (Eng/Wales) were engaging youthvoice: “Of the local authorities that responded to a FOI request, five out of six (85%) had consulted young people on youth provision in the last four years [how frequently / recently? Ed] , similar to the amount in 2023-24 (84%): Surveys (79%), followed by Youth Councils (41%) and visits to youth groups (38%).

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

⭐Embedding Youth Voice at the National Lottery Community Fund – Recommended Read and Listen (Post & Podcast!) Joe Rich (Head of Youth Voice), Tia (former Youth Voice Advisor and now member of UK Fund Panel) and Loren member of Young People in the Lead Advisory Panel) and on how youthvoice has been embedded into the work of the National Lottery Fund – as advisors, decision-makers and partners in shaping change. Podcast co-produced by Be The Change – Interviewer @LilyMott.Recommended Read and Watch.

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