#YouthVoiceNews, 29th April

“Being young isn’t a weakness, it’s your power. So never hide yourself, and never let anyone tell you that you are too young to be heard.” Quote of the week from Lars Westra, giving advice to his peers at the European Youth Parliament. A must watch !  … In this week’s edition..

• ⭐New Youth Council executive announced – reaction
• ⭐European Youth Parliament – Lars Westra (19) 1-2-watch
• ⭐Seen and Heard – tour completed, expectations raised – @iwillMovement
• ⭐Digital World consultation – Minister attends #youthvoice townhall – @Flippgen
• ⭐Profile and Platform – Amelie Abass
• ⭐New Research – amplifying marginalised voices/ Children In Society
• ⭐Votesat16Watch – Electoral Commission
• 👀Youth Voice Consultations x 2 on Digital future/Social Media: iwill/Govt, FlipGen/Govt
• 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters

Welcome to #YouthVoice News & Opportunities, which is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer. Join over 680 practitioners and young leaders who have signed up on LinkedIn (or the YVH website) to get this free newsletter sent directly to their email – via LinkedIn here. (And to browse back issues here). Please ‘Tag’ us to your posts (#YouthVoiceNews or @YouthVoiceHeard) so we can highlight and share your youthvoice.

NEWS

Youth Council UK reveals first national Executive Board.  Following elections held by YCUK’s 200+ founding member organisations, 17 young people aged 16–25, nominated by its members, were elected for a two year term, and join two existing UK Young Ambassadors, all mandated to represent young people across the UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories through their membership organisations.  Hosted by the National Youth Agency, the council ‘continues the values and mission of the British Youth Council’ (which closed in March 2024). NYA reaffirmed its commitment to ‘ensuring strong governance and sustainable foundations so YCUK can become an independent organisation’. Read More for details on who was elected for the two year term in an updated information page on the YCUK webpage on the NYA website.

Reaction ‘Step by step the new youth council is taking shape with elected representatives of its membership taking up the reins to lead the way. They will have access to a wide range of support, and all working to a common goal to get young voices heard and acted upon. I’m looking forward to learning who the member organisations are and what the next steps will be to gather and prioritise their campaigns and activities going forward. I’m looking forward to hearing the Governments response, with an ongoing parallel mechanism for meaningful dialogue, participation in decision-making and feedback – a ‘national listen’  this new ‘national voice’. JC/Ed)

Lars Westra (19) delivers an inspiring keynote speech to the European Youth Parliament on being visible and vocal on the difference you want to make.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Find out what makes your heart beat fast, what you want to make a difference about.. find where that is [decided]  the UN, EU, university, or your community centre, or your city council – then that’s the place you should want to be. Being young isn’t a weakness; it’s your power. So never hide yourself, and never let anyone tell you that you are too young to be heard. When I’m at the UN I notice Im the youngest in the room (19). I know that I have the least experience, and some people expect me to sit back and stay quiet. For a long time I thought I needed to pretend to be someone else just to be taken seriously, hide my young age in a fancy suit, hide my inexperience behind very difficult words, hide my idealistic views behind a grumpy serious face. But then I realised that we are young, thats exactly the power of young people, we can raise topics that matter to our generation, we are inexperienced so we can come up with new bold ideas, we are idealistic so we can dare to dream of things that might seem impossible – And the only reason that politicians, policy makers, deplomats want to meet with you is because of your perspective, your struggles,  your dreams. Being young isn’t a weakness, it’s your power. So never hide yourself, and never let anyone tell you that you are too young to be heard – to make a change. Because the fact that you are young, still learning, still questioning and still dreaming, is exactly yhe reason you deserve to be at the table.” Watch here. Lars Westra, childs rights activist, EU Youth Delegate to the UN | Vice Chair Dutch NGO Coalition on Children’s Rights.

To find out more/get involved. Check out the youth-led European Youth Parliament UK

Minister for AI, Kaniska Narayan MP listening to #youthvoice on Digital World, AI and Safety. Another example of a Govt department following the @DCMS new guidelines on listening to young people on current policy? Hosted by the @FlippGen Digital Rebels, in collaboration with 5Rights, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and LUSH a video (below) captures this ‘fully youth-led’ Youth Town Hall event. It shows a cross-section of children and young people, talking about why their voice is important, and ‘digital’ issues. “We have a voice, but it’s not loud enough .. I wish it gets heard by the right people”.  The Minister replied that he fundamentally believes that “If you’re making decisions that affect some people, then those people should have a voice in those decisions. That’s why I’m here. ” Read More and Watch the video!

(All credit to the Minister for attending, and to the organisers for making this happen. I hope there is feedback to give meaning to the minister’s assurance that their views will be “at the heart of decisions” [I wish we’d ban the use of that phrase unless its defined and includes feedback – ‘you said we did.’ In many cases we just don’t know the weight given to their voices in the political process and final decision. I’ve called for a legislative duty to consult children and young people on both policy development and legislation affecting them, with a commitment to feedback. We look forward to what happens next. Ed/JC)

Youth Strategy: Seen and Heard tour completed – expectations. Organisers, the @iwillmovement shared that their partnership events resulted in: “💬 400+ young people sharing their voices,🍕 1000+ slices of pizza, and🤝 Youth‑led conversations bringing the National Youth Strategy to life locally”. “We can’t wait to see what happens next”. The post includes an excellent video which sums up the “youthvoice challenge” to power and decision-makers. Watch Here.

It’s reassuring to know the Govt strategy has not only made the effort to consult, listen and reassure young people that their voice will be influential, but promised to establish a mechanism to empower young people to hold the Youth Strategy’s commitments to account. Initially timetabled to be at the end of 2026, though I think it’s more likely to be early 2027. Ed/JC 

PROFILE AND PLATFORM / (Long Read) – Amelie Abass

This month’s profile and platform spotlights young campaigner, advocate and activist, Amelie Abass (23), who talks about her #youthvoice journey from adversity to advocacy. Now an award -winning speaker, #iWill Ambassador, political activist, and a top 10 national finalist for the 2026 Undergraduate of the Year awards (specifically the Black Heritage award), her aim is to inspire others to find their own voice and create social change. She is “committed to creating a platform for young voices and shining a light on their perspectives”. Read the full interview here.

RECOMMENDED READS

⚡Esther Horner Youth Voice lead at NYA reflects on the journey of bringing YCUK to reality – building on the legacy of British Youth Council. “As we reflect on this journey, we do so with immense pride and gratitude. While we will always be here to support, we are delighted to now hand the governance of this wonderful organisation fully into the hands of young people, where it truly belongs” Read More

⚡Esmat Jeraj, Head of Voter Engagement at the Electoral Commission, writing for Schools Week, says: “Democracy starts in the classroom – Extending the franchise must be paired with support for schools to facilitate democratic education, Electoral Commissions ” Esmat explores the issues and sets out the Electoral Commission’s plans/partnerships to prepare a new generation of young voters to have their say. Read More

VOTES AT 16 WATCH – 👀Votesat16Watch is a rolling news page – a summary of the latest stories, events and research since July 2025. In addition, there is a timeline history of the Votes at 16 campaign activities, including milestones events in parliaments in the UK and around the world.  Timeline/Resources👀  

⚡Votes at 16 are a reality in the next General Election –Votes at 16 are a reality in the next General Election says Tory MP Mims Davies,  on a visit to Haywards Heath college. “Votes at 16 are a real­ity in the next Gen­eral Elec­tion and cur­rently already hap­pen in the Senedd and Holyrood in Wales and Scot­land. Meet­ing with stu­dents, school vis­its and youth groups are vital for find­ing out what young people’s top pri­or­it­ies and con­cerns are. They will be the lead­ers of tomor­row and it’s import­ant to meet stu­dents who are not only already inter­ested in issues, but to inspire more to become inter­ested”

[Note – all opps are based on info from hosting organisations. We endeavour to include accurate age range, dates and deadlines – but for up-to-date info, check with the organisers. Ed]

YOUTH VOICE OPPORTUNITIES

YOUTH VOICE CENSUS

The ‘Youth Voice Annual Census 2026’ by @Youth Employment UK is open: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐AGED 11-30? UK? Have your say on how you feel about life, work and education, which YEUK will use to lobby decision-makers/Government. Every year, thousands of people complete the survey, sharing their opinions to shape the future. The survey can take between 10 and 45 minutes to complete, depending on the answers you give. You can start and stop as many times as you like, saving your progress as you go! More info/video/workers resources/past surveys Here or Start the Survey here. Deadline 8th June.

Comment: This excellent annual survey and report, produced by @Youth Employment UK,  is a great example of a topic-focused youth voice initiative being heard and having a national influence on policy, because the results feed into a group of charities championing all things employment/careers direct to the Department for Work & Pensions. Check it out, check them out! Ed/JC

CONSULTATIONS

[The Government, (via Dept DSIT) has developed how its consulting young people by commissioning several civil society/voluntary orgs to feed into the Digital Safety (Social Media ban) consultation. Ive not signposted all of them below.  DCMS deployed several orgs to reach out to a maximum number of children and young people in the development of the Youth Strategy, and produced guidelines to other Govt departments to follow suit. This reflects an appreciation of the growing number of orgs with ‘participation’ skills and experience, and marks a departure from traditional going through just one ‘catch-all’ national org, or the previous DCMS model of having a Youth Policy Development/Advisory group administered by one charity (eg British Youth Council). Could this have implications for the future role of national voice infrastructures as the Minister reviews how the Government supports youth empowerment? Either way, the real test is how much this process results in a ‘you said we did’ impact, follow-up accountability and feedback. Well done to DCMS for trialling the idea in developing the Youth Strategy.   Ed/JC]

Youth Transformation Programme ‘Task&Finish’ group. Age 14-20 UK – to help with policy design and programme development for the Local Youth Transformation and Young Futures Hubs programmes – funded by the UK Government and led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Participation People are working in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to facilitate this group to share your views and shape Govt policy. Accreditation and vouchers. 👉 Find out more & apply here: https://lnkd.in/ex_aUZHFThis project is being led by Priya Shah – feel free to connect or reach out to her directly on LinkedIn or priya.shah@participationpeople.com 🗓️ Deadline to apply: 30th April

Consultation on the future of Growing up in Digital World / #iwillMovement / Savanta, Volunteering Matters / UKYouth  (with Govt) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has launched a UK-wide consultation on growing up in the online world. The consultation aims to understand how children, young people and families can be better supported as digital platforms, gaming environments and emerging technologies become an even greater part of everyday life. To ensure young people’s insights are at the heart of this work, DSIT has commissioned a consortium led by Savanta, supported by the #iWill Movement (powered by Volunteering Matters and UK Youth). Together, we are creating opportunities for young people, parents, carers and practitioners to share their experiences through surveys, creative engagement and in–person youth hack events. Read More – national surveys are now open for young people aged 10-21 and parents and carers of young people aged up to 21. The survey will be live until they close on 26th May.

⚡Social Media Ban /Safety: The Government has launched a national consultation on “how to better protect children online and support families in a period of rapid technological change. We want to hear from a wide range of voices across the UK, especially those working with and supporting children and families. The consultation seeks views on issues like minimum age for social media, addictive features such as autoplay and infinite scroll, AI chatbots, mobile phones in schools, and support for parents and carers. It is open until 26 May 2026,  Main consultation, Parent-friendly version , Child-friendly version

⚡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 – Events, Newsletters & Resources

⚡Children & YP annual Awards – Nominations open. “These prestigious awards are a source of pride and recognition for all those improving lives, and the gold standard for everyone working with children, young people and families”. Young Voices Heard is a supporter of these awards and its young judges panel (who have an equal say with older judges). So our “Campaign4YouthRecognition” calls on you to nominate youthvoice champions for these awards. Although there is still no ‘youthvoice’ category, you can still recognise their impact in one of the other categories!  Read more. Deadline 15th June.

Centre For Youth Voice – check out their LinkedIn posts!

The Centre for Youth Voice has now started to post regular features/signpost blogs/case studies on LinkedIn. Here are the ones that caught my attention – but why not follow them directly here

👀When participation becomes symbolic: Blog Read More

👀The first episode of our new Youth Work Exchange Podcast explores ‘Authoring Our Own Stories’, a five-year, youth-led research programme. Read (listen) More

RECENT NEWSLETTERS

👀Centre for Youth Voice – making its mark Newsletter/March 26  Another excellent newsletter from the Centre4YV – with news, free training dates and resources.

👀Govt/DCMS Youth Team – Newsletter / March 2026 -packed with news, info, webinars, consultation info and research, including: Youth Matters:  Share your views on major measures to protect children on social media Deadline 26th May, The PM and Taoiseach met members of the UK-Ireland Youth Forum, UK Young Ambassadors Update (Youth Council UK @ NYA), Government’s plan for Votes at 16, Youth Matters: State of the Nation – Regional data for young people.

If you have a YouthVoice newsletter with free opportunities or information  – get in touch! Info@youngvoicesheard.org.uk

RESOURCES:

💡The Politics Project (which coordinates Democracy Classroom) have a new one-stop Resource Hub for schools, democracy engagement practitioners and young leaders. Read more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐RECOMMENDED –  Bumper Resource – 188 x Slides (yes ! 188? – includes lots of research/detailed plans, progress and opportunities to get involved –  from the Votesat 16 Strategy Day. Last month Democracy Classroom convened an in person Votesat16 Strategy day, where over 100 attendees heard a range of presentations from: The Economist Foundation (research), Partnership for Young London/The Jack Petchey Foundation (research), The Electoral Commission (research and prepration plan), The Politics Project (Wales), The Northern Ireland Youth Forum, My Life My Say (voter registration), ShoutOutUK (Wales), Education Scotland,  UKYouthParliament, Minister Samantha Dixon MP, and her department team (on the passage of the legislation), and the Democracy Classrooms – Roadmap to Votes at 16.  A Must-Read, Resource  Here

⭐The Centre for Youth Voice is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and delivered by the Network of Regional Youth Work Units. They offer free training, so sign up to their newsletter for the latest info. Also, visit their website to access Publications/Resources. Recommend the Typology (types) of youth voice models.

YouthVoice Co-assessment framework launched – 14th April: The Centre for Youth Voice has launched a new co-assessment framework (free) for practitioners and young people to use together to reflect on their youth voice practice. You will be able to complete it online/and share anonymously with the Centre to share trends.  “It’s a map for continuous improvement, not as pass/fail assessment”. The framework covers the full range of approaches to youth voice — from youth consultation and co-production, to youth-led governance, activism, and social action.

➡ Tool and PDF download: https://www.regionalyouthunits.com/self-assessment-tool
➡ Launch recording: https://youtu.be/s7tOjUyyH3o

⭐Youth Focus North West (YFNW) – New E‑Learning Module: Participation and Young People’s Voice using the Lundy Model:   a new Lundy Model e‑learning course, developed in partnership with Lancashire County Council, Lancashire & South Cumbria ICB, the University of Central Lancashire, and the Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership. The e‑learning provides a strong foundation ahead of YFNW’s in‑person Lundy Model and Youth Participation Training, which offers deeper learning, practical tools, and opportunities for peer support. Read more in the Centre4YouthVoice Newsletter.

Young Voices Heard- Services  – We not only host #YouthVoiceNews but also offer services to help you mobilise your #youthvoice, including: quality assurance/assessment, training/mentoring for staff and young leaders; project management, and fundraising assistance.  Last month we supported or advised: Youth Council UK, Youth United Foundation, Shout Out UK, Be The Change Media Network and Votesat16.co.uk . DM James@youngvoicesheard.org.uk for more information.

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

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