VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES

Young Voices Heard is a free and not for profit platform promoting and campaigning for greater youth participation in public life through mentoring, networking, reporting and recognition of young changemakers and their champions. For more info on its history scroll down.

New Year Resolutions reviewed and updated 2026

Every year YVH reviews its coming years’ priorities through a number of New Year resolutions in pursuit of if Vision, Mission and Values below.

  1. To campaign for a FT Youth Minister and an ongoing Youth Policy Advisory Panel, to develop and coordinate the Government Youth Strategy and policy.
  2. To encourage more young people to apply and be appointed as Trustees/Directors, and for Boards to recruit/include them as normally as they would any other demographic or minority that adds value to governance, for their skills, perspective and network rather than their tokenistic representation. The stats are poor and hardly changed over the last 20 years.
  3. To challenge stereotypical and ill-informed attitudes towards young people that block their potential to contribute to society as active citizens. From voting to volunteering, as doers, decision-makers, campaigners and representatives, young people have skills, networks and energy that could add value to communities, boardrooms and even parliament. Lets listen, work with and invest in young people.
  4. To campaign for great youth recognition of those exceptional children and young people who have contributed to public life through their community action (not sport)
  5. To continue to provide a free regular Newsletter #YouthVoiceNews to share news, good practice, opportunities and resources, and to explore sources of income and partners to ensure its sustainability.

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision: A future where young people play a fuller part in society, realising their full potential and participating in, informing, and influencing the shape of their world, now and for tomorrow.

Mission: To provide a range of services, including a regular newsletter, and support to both young people and those wanting to involve them in organisations, communities, boardrooms, parliament and the media.

Values: Empowerment, Integrity, Inclusion, Curtesy, Passion, Reflection, Learning, Sharing, Tolerance, Persistence, Recognition and Inspiration.

Mission in more detail:

  1. To encourage, educate and support young leaders to make a difference to their communities and themselves, whether by working together or and in partnership with older people.
  2. To offer support to organisations willing to empower young people to realise their personal vision, both youth-led and in partnership with existing organisations, ranging from providing entrepreneurial opportunities to activities that challenge injustice and inequality.
  3. To support greater and quality youth participation in decision-making in organisations and public life.
  4. To raise standards and share good practice
  5. To recognise and communicate the work of the above to peers, communities and decision-makers
  6. To connect and network allies in all age groups to be self-sustaining, empowering and non-dependent on any central control, but embrace these vision mission and values.

Objectives and Opportunities

  1. To provide a regular newsletter Youth Voice News, with news, opportunities and resources, including a platform and signposting to young voices issues and views.
  2. To support more young leaders into positions of power and influence – in organisations, communities and society
  3. To support a number of organisations to integrate youth voice and participation in their structures.
  4. To support young leaders to be independent and equal stakeholders in society.
  5. To mentor or network all-age leaders, boosting confidence, reflecting on experience, realising vision and unlocking potential
  6. To broker networking, where a problem shared is a solution explored with a fresh perspective and team skills, including networking with and between decision-makers and all-age groups.
  7. To develop quality assurance good practice standards that have been informed and influenced by young leaders.
  8. To offer a range of support services in support of quality – Assessment, Project Management, Fundraising, Quality Assurance, Training and Development.
  9. To provide a platform and recognition of young leaders through nomination for awards, reporting good practice, storytelling, and personal testimony – online, x- Twitter, local media or promoting ‘stories on social media’

Outcomes

  1. A regular Newsletter to the youth voice sector in the UK, with news, opportunities and resources
  2. Information, through education and research to inform young people’s decisions and course of action
  3. Skill development, in writing, media, speaking, making a case, decision-making and setting priorities
  4. Introductions to decision-makers, and to the spaces where decisions are made (boardrooms, school councils, youth councils, government and community groups)
  5. Pathway clearing and removing obstacles to ensure young people have equal opportunities to have a say and be well-received

History

From 2017 – 2019 Young Voices Heard was a platform set up by James Cathcart to pursue a similar vision, mission and values as above, undertaking consultancy work to support prop bono support and volunteering.

In 2020- 2025 YVH Ltd was set up as a social enterprise to manage consultancy and project management, including mentoring, strategic advice, training and management support) with the majority of profits retained and invested to subsidise pro bono work as well as deliver advisory services and management consultancy.

2025 – Youth Voice Heard CiC provides Advocay, Project Management and Support Services, as well as hosting a website of Resources, News and Opportunities to promote good practice.