Author: Editor

This month's #YouthVoiceNews 'profile and platform' spotlights young campaigner, advocate and activist, Amelie Abass (23). An #iwillamabassador and award-winning speaker, she was recently shortlisted as a top 10 national finalist for the 2026 Undergraduate of the Year awards (specifically the Black Heritage award sponsored by Sky). In this interview, Amelie talks about her #youthvoice journey from adversity to advocacy. Profile Amelie Abass (23) is a campaigner, youth voice champion, and professional speaker whose journey from adversity to advocacy aims 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” Amelie is currently a second-year university student studying Politics BSc at the University of Surrey. She is also an #Iwill ambassador, organiser…

"I’m constantly thinking about power, who has it, who doesn’t, and how we shift it" - quote of the week from Millicent Wedlock in Recommended Reads ... Also this week.. ⭐Votes at 16 - new research of 4000 students - The Economist Ed Foundation ⭐Minister reviewing plans for youthvoice programmes - announcements expected soon as Youth Parlt gets 1 year extension ⭐New Youth Voice Task & Finish Group for Youth Transformation/Hubs programmes - PP ⭐Youth Voice Consultations x 2 on Digital future/Social Media: iwill/Govt, FlipGen/Govt 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters PLEASE COMPLETE BY 26th April #YouthVoiceNews Feedback.  Help us stay relevant and useful to our network of stakeholders and subscribers of all ages. Click Here = Youth Voice Heard – Feedback & Consultation (Or Scan QR code) #YouthVoiceNews aims to share \…

"Take up space .. you deserve to be there... and if you weren't invited to be in the room - ask for an invitation..." Lily Mott, 'Be the Change' Emerging Leaders podcast is this week's Recommended Listen⬇️ on how to get started making change.. PLUS ⭐New YouthVoice -Co-Assessment Tool - Centre for Youth Voice ⭐UK Youth Parliament confirms funding extended  - NYA ⭐NUS to create a National Union of School Students 13-18 - get involved ⭐Youth Council UK - update ⭐Children Young People Now Awards - nominate a youthvoice champion/project/partnership! ⭐Youth Voice Consultations x 2 on Digital future/Social Media: iwill/Govt, FlipGen/Govt ⭐Recommended Resource - Voteat16 Strategy Day Bumper 188 x easy access slides 👀Recommended Reads: YV examples from Sport/Forum/MYPs 👀Newsletters roundup - Centre4YouthVoice, DCMS, MyLifeMySay 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters 👀Free Training…

"The question isn’t whether young people should be involved – it’s whether we’re actually willing to build systems where their influence counts..." Josh Harsant on local youth voice, is this week's Recommended Read"⬇️.. plus ⭐New Self-Assessment Tool Launch - Centre4YouthVoice, book asap ⭐New E-Learning model using the Lundy Model. ⭐Youth Select Committee (Youth Parlt) PSHE report. Parliament debate? ⭐Children Young People Now Awards - nominate a youthvoice champion/partnership! ⭐Voter Registration campaign - Give a X? ⭐Youth Voice Consultations x 2: on student loans, social media ban 👀Recommended Reads: Josh Harsant, Anja Neundorf 👀Newsletters roundup - Centre4YouthVoice, DCSM, MyLifeMySay 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters 👀Free Training & 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…

"Will young people ever have full agency or autonomy if it ultimately depends on the resources of adults...?" Molly Taylor  in Recommended Watch"⬇️.. plus ⭐YouthVoice Census: is back for 2026 - Aged 11-30? Have your say. ⭐Govt/DCMS Youth Team Newsletter: bumper issue!! ⭐Votes at 16 Watch latest: Bill committee evidence from Democracy Classroom ⭐Youth Voice Consultations x 2: on student loans, social media ban ⭐Profile and Platform: Alex Nurton / Youth Parliament Votesat16 speech ! 👀Recommended Podcast/Video - Voices In Action/Molly and Henry 👀Newsletters roundup - Centre4YouthVoice 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters 👀Free Training & 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…

Alex Nurton (17) member of the Youth Parliament and Chair of UKYP’s Votes at 16 campaign committee, makes the case for supporting teachers to be properly resourced in preparing young citizens to vote at the age of 16 and calls on supporters to back and sign UKYP’s e-petition. Profile: Alex, aged 17, is Student Vice President at his school, and a Member of the UK Youth Parliament. Locally he is a member of the Surrey Youth Council and serves on the Surrey Youth Cabinet, where he leads the finance and jobs campaign group. Alex has written about Votes at 16 and appeared on BBC radio and TV, where first came to the attention of #YouthVoiceNews/ Votesat16Watch when he said “We’re not just adults in waiting – we’re active members of society……

" Young people are ready to shape the systems that affect them. They have ideas, solutions and ambition. What they are asking for now is action"  Deborrah Terras on yp reaction to Youth Strategy at Seen&Heard event, in  "Recommended Reads"⬇️.. plus ⭐National Lottery Community Fund - have your say survey on their youthvoice plans.. ⭐Local Youth Voice Spotlight  - 10,000 (71.9% turnout) elect Barnsley Youth Council ⭐Youth Participation: Checklist & Reports from UN Youth Office/St Georges Hse ⭐Two new funding opps: UN and UK ⭐Votes at 16 Watch latest: How are 16 & 17s being prepared to vote in May .. ⭐Youth Voice Consultations x 2 : on student loans and social media ban 👀Recommended Reads/Podcast - Deberah Terra on Seen and Heard, 👀Newsletters roundup 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters 👀Free…

"Thousands of young people in the world have ideas, even good ones, yet ..no one listens to them. That is when some decided to rebel, and youth activism was born.." Gabriella Capaldo (Teen Mag- pupil) in Recommended Reads⬇️.. and ⭐New Funder collaboration will support youthled network for change ⭐NUS lobby parliament on Student loans ⭐Its Your Vote Week 26 - Electoral Commission features/new partners/new tracker poll 2500 cyp ⭐'Pathway to Votes at 16' strategy day: Sixty plus orgs to attend/Minister ⭐Youth Council UK - now on LinkedIn, as well as Facebook/Insta ⭐UN Youth Office - Youth Participation Checklist & Funding 📅Countdown to May elections - new weekly materials for educators 👀Recommended Reads - Youth Participation: Reflection Report 👀Recommended Reads - Youth Activism in the face of Ignorance Gabriella Capaldo 👀Opportunities…

"Engagement without feedback isn’t participation. It’s extraction. And our young people deserve better." [Recommended Reads⬇️] .. and ⭐MPs vote 410/105 Votes at 16: parties support 2nd Reading in Commons debate ⭐'Pathway to Votes at 16' strategy day: Sixty plus orgs to attend/Minister ⭐Social Media Consultation: surveys launched ⭐New May Election Countdown/Resources: Democracy Classroom/Politics Project 📅Coming up: Your Vote Week 26 - Electoral Commission 👀Recommended Reads - Jade Barnett | Hudl 👀Opportunities for young people/supporters 👀Free Training & 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. (&…

Votes@16Watch: "I used to say Votes at 16 would herald a new age for democracy. Well its nearly Springtime and the new age is nearly here! I've been collecting a virtual 'scrapbook' of news, posts, polls and briefings since when I took up the role of CEO at the British Youth Council in 2008, and inherited their V16 campaign and became part of the Votesat16 Coalition movement.  This edition of #Votes@16Watch is my selection of those from July 25 (when the Govt confirmed its intention to introduce legislation) to Feb 26 (when the Representation of the Peoples Bill was introduced). I'm sharing these posts and sources here to help inform the debate on the next steps to introducing the reforms of across the UK. (A timeline of the V16 campaign…