“This month’s #YouthVoiceNews ‘profile and platform’ features Eden Byrne, 23, a youth-voice champion, activist, and podcast host from Northern Ireland. In this extended interview, she reflects on her passion for empowering young people to shape decisions, with a particular focus on disability, mental health, chronic illness, inclusion and sport. Drawing on her extensive experience of advising organisations across the UK, her #youthvoice journey is packed with valuable insights and is a must-read for all ages – be you an aspiring young leader or a supporter. Ed/JC”
Profile
Eden Byrne (23) is currently studying Childhood and Youth Studies at the Open University and in recent years has worked with more than 60 organisations and charities on “youth voice, social action and advocacy”. She is a Centre for Youth Voice Ambassador, Participation People Young Consultant, #iwill Ambassador and My Life My Say Ambassador, alongside being an Open University Student Representative and Vice Chair of the Disabled Student Group.
Eden also hosts the Sports for All Podcast on the Be the Change Media Network, exploring young people’s experiences of sport, inclusion and accessibility. Her work has included research, campaigns, media interviews, conferences and digital advocacy. She has received recognition including Youth Ambassador of the Year from Youth Employment UK and Volunteer of the Year for Sense in 2024, and was nominated for a BBC Make a Difference Award in 2025.
Platform
My youth voice and social action journey
I first got involved in social action and campaigning in 2021 through the National Children’s Bureau Anti-Bullying Forum. At that point, I wasn’t particularly confident and didn’t really know much about the opportunities that were out there for young people. I was becoming more involved in Taekwondo and hoping to go to university, but then I became ill with a chronic illness and was unable to go. I had to give up a lot of the things I had planned for myself and felt quite lost without a sense of purpose.
I started volunteering with organisations including Youth Employment UK, Allergy UK and Deafblind UK, as well as becoming a mentor with Brightside. My social action journey really took off when I joined became an #iwill Ambassador in 2023. Since then, I’ve worked with more than 60 organisations and charities, taken part in research projects, media interviews and conferences, hosted events and started my own podcast. A lot of my youth voice work has come from my own lived experience, particularly working with other young people with health conditions and disabilities.
For me, social action gave me a new purpose and, at times, a reason to keep going. I found my voice again. Once I got involved, I really caught the bug.Especially in Northern Ireland, sometimes you have to put yourself out there and find opportunities yourself but Once you’re in, you’re in and honestly, I couldn’t get enough!
What does youth voice mean to me?
For me, youth voice is about much more than simply asking young people what they think. Young people should be involved in co-designing, making decisions, co-facilitating and being embedded in governance. If organisations say they value youth voice but young people aren’t actually influencing decisions, then they need to look at their practice. I’ve been in rooms where I’ve been the youngest person, or the only young person from Northern Ireland. That can be quite isolating, and there can be pressure to represent an entire country or group of young people when I’m actually there to share my own perspective.
Being represented in a room and actually being listened to aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Things have improved over the last five years, and I’m really pleased to see more organisations embedding youth voice into their work. But there are still times when young people’s views aren’t given the same weight as those of senior researchers or professionals.Lived experience has value. Being young has value. Growing up in a new generation gives us a perspective that other people simply don’t have.
Who gets the opportunity to be heard?
Being from Northern Ireland has shaped a lot of my experience. Young people here don’t always get the same opportunities as young people in other parts of the UK, and I’ve seen organisations describe themselves as UK-wide without properly including Northern Ireland. There are also wider barriers. Opportunities need to be accessible for young people with disabilities and health conditions, young carers and people who might not be able to travel or attend something at a particular time. It shouldn’t be assumed that everyone can be in the same room at the same time. Sometimes people need flexible timings, different venues, alternative ways to participate or support before and after difficult conversations.
I’ve also experienced the pressure of constantly being online. Digital advocacy gives young people so many opportunities to have a voice, but there can also be an expectation that we are always available, always posting and always engaging. That can become overwhelming. We need to think about young people as whole people, rather than just the contribution they can make to an organisation.
Who inspires me, and why does community matter?
A lot of my biggest inspirations are actually the other young people I’ve met through youth voice and social action. There are so many young people doing amazing things, and I’m constantly inspired by their ideas, their passion and the things they’re willing to speak up about. The youth leaders and activists around me push me to be better and challenge me to think differently. My friends and the community I’ve found through this work are also a huge inspiration. We support each other through the work, but also through life. There are definitely times when youth voice and activism can be exhausting, and having people around you who understand that makes such a difference. We’ve become a little family, and we motivate each other when things feel overwhelming.
That’s also why I set up a group chat with other Northern Irish youth activists. I know how lonely activism can sometimes feel, particularly if you live rurally, have a health condition or disability, or don’t have many opportunities to socialise in person. As I’ve gained experience, I’ve also taken on more of a mentoring role, and I’m always happy to have conversations with people who are starting out.
There’s one My Life My Say call that has really stuck with me. I joined when I was close to burnout and wasn’t particularly feeling up to being there. I put my camera on, gave a little wave and said, “Oh, hi,” and so many people waved back. It sounds like such a small thing, but it really stayed with me. People were asking how I was, saying hello and acknowledging that I was there. There were quite a lot of people on the call, but somehow I still felt seen. The speaker was brilliant and spoke about confidence and going after the things you want, but what I took away was almost bigger than that. I felt completely part of something. It reminded me that I mattered, that my voice mattered and that I deserved to be in the room. That simple moment of people waving back at me reminded me why community is so important.
And I think that’s a big part of why I keep doing this. I see other young people continuing to show up, speak out and create change, and it makes me want to keep doing the same. I want other young people to have the opportunities, confidence and sense of belonging that I’ve found through this community.
What impact have I seen from my work?
One moment that really reminds me why I do what I do is through my involvement with the “Youth Opportunities” initiative. I’ve helped create the newsletter and share opportunities from a Northern Ireland perspective, as well as opportunities available across the UK. What I love about it is that you don’t always get to see what happens afterwards. People send in opportunities, they go onto the website, and someone somewhere might find something that changes what they do next. One of the opportunities I submitted was for a new charity looking for volunteers. Someone saw it through Youth Opportunities, applied and became involved as a volunteer. That volunteering opportunity eventually turned into a full-time job for them at the charity. What makes it even more special is that they probably don’t know that I was the person who originally submitted the opportunity. There’s something quite magical about that.
You can put something out into the world without knowing where it will go, and then suddenly see the impact of it. Sometimes making a difference isn’t about being the person at the front of the room or getting recognition. Sometimes it’s simply about opening a door and making sure someone else gets the chance to walk through it.
I’ve also had conversations recently with young activists who are just starting out, particularly here in Northern Ireland. Being able to share opportunities, answer questions and give someone a bit of confidence to take that first step is something I really value. Those conversations always remind me why I do this.
What needs to change?
I’d like to see young people treated as leaders and changemakers now, rather than constantly being described as the “leaders of tomorrow”. There needs to be more trust in young people and more genuine opportunities for us to influence decisions. That means closing the feedback loop, showing young people what happened because of their input, and making sure we aren’t simply brought into a room to tick a box.
Organisations also need to recognise the practical barriers that can stop young people getting involved. Reimbursing time and travel, offering flexible ways to participate and understanding responsibilities such as caring are all important.
We also need to support young people before and after conversations about difficult or triggering lived experiences. We can be passionate about making change while still needing support ourselves. Young people shouldn’t have to burn themselves out to prove that their voice matters. Personally, I’ve really valued the organisations the check in with me after particularly challenging sessions because it shows that they really care and even just a simple check-in can make all the difference.
What has volunteering and youth voice given me?
Although it might sound like a cliche – Volunteering has changed my life. It has given me confidence, opportunities and the chance to push myself outside of my comfort zone. It has helped me develop as a person and given me something to focus on through some really difficult challenges. My podcast is a good example of that. I had to give up sport because of my health, but through Sports for All I’ve been able to stay connected to something I love while giving other people the opportunity to share their experiences. I’m really grateful for the people I’ve met through youthvoice. A lot of the young people I’ve met have become like a little family. We motivate each other through the exhaustion and the overwhelm, and remind each other why we started. That community is one of the biggest reasons I’m still doing this.
What would I say to a young person who wants to get involved?
If you’re passionate about something, get out there. It can feel overwhelming when you first start looking at all the opportunities, but you don’t have to do everything at once. Start with something you care about. Talk to your friends, look at local youth groups, reach out to people already involved, and ask questions. Most people in this space are really friendly, and you don’t have to arrive knowing exactly what you’re doing.
I’d also say look after yourself. Youth voice and activism can be exhausting, particularly if you’re talking about your own lived experience. You don’t always have to be “on”, and you don’t have to say yes to everything.
For me, my journey wasn’t linear. I didn’t end up going to university when I thought I would. I became ill, had to change direction and found something completely different. Young people’s paths don’t have to look the same to be valuable and your experiences hold so much power
What do I want young people’s place in society to look like?
I want young people to have equal opportunities to influence decisions, particularly decisions that affect them. I want young people from Northern Ireland to have the same opportunities as young people across the rest of the UK. I want young people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, caring responsibilities and other barriers to be able to participate without having to fight for accessibility.
And I want young people to understand that their voice has value, even if they don’t have a long CV or a list of qualifications. Young people shouldn’t have to wait for someone to decide that their voice is important enough to be heard. We belong in these conversations now. We belong in the room now. We are already shaping the future. We are already changing things, creating opportunities and making space for the people around us.
For me, youth voice has never just been about having a seat at the table. It’s about making sure there’s a seat for someone else too, and that is something that I think a lot of organisations and individuals should carry forward in the work that they do too.
ENDS
If you enjoyed reading this Profile and Platform and know somebody else whose story would inspire, send me an email – James@youngvoicesheard.org.uk
Thank you so much for featuring me James so greatful and hope a lot of this resonates with others