Jun22021 by James CathcartNo Comments
Top Tips on Starting Up #YouthVoice

Top Tips on Starting Up #YouthVoice

News, News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard, Youth Social Action
To mark the Power of Youth Day 2nd June 2021, Young Voices Heard is using this article to a platform #youthvoice tips and advice to other young people starting out. It's a collection of quotes from a series of Power of Youth interviews over the last year - when one of the questions young leaders were asked was: "What advice would you give to other young people starting their #youthvoice journey?" The full interviews can be found in our blog section and include several #iwill ambassadors. You can find more tips, standards and youthled examples in our Resources pages (more…)
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Apr182021 by James CathcartNo Comments
Power of Youth Challenge: One Year On

Power of Youth Challenge: One Year On

News, News and Blogs, Quality Youth Voice, Young Voices Heard, Youth Social Action
Power of Youth Challenge:  News, Report and Recommendations from 'Young Voices Heard'. Over a year ago the young ambassadors of the #iwill ‘campaign for youth social action’ challenged stakeholders and society to: “Listen to Us, Work with Us and Invest in Us”. Young Voices Heard responded with a range of opportunities for young people to have their say, and to work together on an agenda to further embed the power of youth and amplify youth voice in public life. Young people were also saying "Dont just make a pledge and act on it, but also give us feedback and credit for our ideas". This 'post' is YVH's feedback and acknowledgement of young peoples inspiration and leadership in exploring a range of proposals for investment, some of which YVH has been…
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Feb22021 by James CathcartNo Comments
YouthVoice 21: New Year Hope and Resolution

YouthVoice 21: New Year Hope and Resolution

News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard
YouthVoice 21: New Year Hope and Resolution     "Don't call initiatives youth-led when they aren't." This was one of the most memorable messages of 2020 that could easily be a New Year resolution for us all in 2021. This statement was made by the young leaders of the suitably named Project Hope* to an online audience attending their 'Power of Youth Festival' workshop in November 2020. They are typical of a new wave of independently minded young people who are challenging assumptions about what constitutes good practice in youth participation. The vast majority of initiatives have been established 'by invitation' or defined within terms of reference set by older people. But this is changing. Whether we are allies or cynics, a new wave of young leaders are making their own…
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Jan32021 by James CathcartNo Comments
Young Voices Heard: Most Read Blogs of 2020

Young Voices Heard: Most Read Blogs of 2020

News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard
Young Voices Heard promotes greater youth participation in public life and organisations. Throughout 2020 its website provided a platform for young voices and their issues through a series of interviews and articles. Here are our top four most read blogs and Editors pick of 2020, and an index of the others with our Editors Recommended Reads (RR).  This is one of two January posts. The next will be looking forward to 2021. See you there. James Cathcart (Ed) (more…)
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Dec162020 by James CathcartNo Comments
#YouthVoiceNow: Interview with Kianna Leader (22), youth advisory group member at The National Lottery Community Fund

#YouthVoiceNow: Interview with Kianna Leader (22), youth advisory group member at The National Lottery Community Fund

News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard, YouthVoice Interview, YouthVoice Interview, YouthVoiceNow Interview
Kianna Leader (22), from Leeds, is a longstanding and passionate champion of #youthvoice and participation. She is currently a volunteer member of the ‘Young People In the Lead’ Advisory Group at the National Lottery Community Fund, and is a member of the Government’s DCMS Youth Voice Steering Group. A graduate from the University of Nottingham she is employed by Getaway Girls, Leeds, as the ‘Vocal Girls Coordinator’ empowering girls and young women to facilitate change in the city. In this interview Kianna talks about her motivation, priorities and hopes for greater youth participation and reveals her new year resolutions! (more…)
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Nov242020 by James CathcartNo Comments
‘In the House – From The Heart’ Young People in the Lead at The National Lottery

‘In the House – From The Heart’ Young People in the Lead at The National Lottery

News, News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard, YouthVoice Interview
INTERVIEW: with the 'Young People in the Lead' advisory panel at the National Lottery Community Fund.  This group interview is the final one in our Power of Youth series with youth voice champions. Nine members of the Young People in the Lead (YPIL) Advisory Panel at The National Lottery Community Fund talk about their role, experience and recommendations on good practice for youth participation [Slides Below]. Thank you to the supporting team at The National Lottery (TNL) and panel members: Kim (24), Keanna (22), Jemimah (22), Danny (24) , Rachel (18),  Loren (21), Amelia (19) Ruhina (25) and Tiny "in the house" Dotty (Cain 20) interviewed by James (Very Old!) Cathcart. "They have spoken from the heart and are a credit to those they represent" Joe Rich, Head of Youth…
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Oct62020 by James CathcartNo Comments
Power of Youth Charter – Plugged In & Charging

Power of Youth Charter – Plugged In & Charging

News and Blogs, Quality Youth Voice, Young Voices Heard, Youth Social Action
Young Voices Heard has signed up to the Power of Youth Charter :  Five 'we will' commitments to - #prioritise opportunities for, #open up decision-making with , #work collaboratively on, #evidence impact from, and #recognise - the power of youth . The Charter is one of the legacies of the Step Up To Serve #iwill campaign for youth social action, which draws to a close this December 2020.  In particular we have championed the quality of youth participation "in decision-making, leading and shaping both the activities they are involved in and wider organisational decisions". We will go further than holding ourselves to account by those young people we work with but will offer an independent youth scrutiny and support service to others signing up and plugging in to the power…
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Sep232020 by James CathcartNo Comments
The Youth Participation Charter 2006 – Not just heard.

The Youth Participation Charter 2006 – Not just heard.

News and Blogs, Quality Youth Voice, Young Voices Heard, Youth Social Action
“While consultation is important, participation in its truest sense gives children and young people an active involvement in planning, decision-making and subsequent evaluation” The Participation Charter, 2006 Is it time to revisit and revive this Charter? Has it stood the test of time? 'The Participation Charter 2006' set out a vision of #youthvoice empowered to have say in decision-making. Many of its principles still apply today but is it enough in 2020 and beyond? How can we collaborate with young leaders, listening to, working with and investing in participation and leadership to refreshed a vision and charter? Whilst not the earliest youth voice charter we've come across, this 'Participation Charter' was published by Children Young People Now magazine on 6th June 2006*, in association with the Participation Works Consortium**.  James…
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Aug192020 by James CathcartNo Comments
#YouthVoice in organisations: 10 steps to good practice

#YouthVoice in organisations: 10 steps to good practice

News and Blogs, Quality Youth Voice, Young Voices Heard
Meaningful Youth Participation Ten top tips for organisations looking to promote youth voice, participation and leadership. As part of our research at Young Voices Heard we have been making space for young people to inform and influence good practice with their advice on planning or improving the way in which organisations embrace youth voice and participation. In this post, James Cathcart pulls these together into a list or series of steps. It's part of a project to contribute to the Power of Youth Series of resources which your can listed on our Resources page. What would you add? What other resources would you recommend? Please send us your suggestions through the link at the end of the article. "Dear Chair/CEO/Head:  Why do you want to listen to young people? How…
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Jul132020 by James CathcartNo Comments
#YouthVoiceNow: Interview with Gabrielle Mathews, NHS advisor, # iwill ambassador and Diana Award winner

#YouthVoiceNow: Interview with Gabrielle Mathews, NHS advisor, # iwill ambassador and Diana Award winner

Changemakers and Champions Gallery, Gallery, Individuals, News and Blogs, Young Voices Heard, YouthVoice Interview, YouthVoice Interview, YouthVoiceNow Interview
Gabrielle Mathews  aged 22, from Coventry, is a long-term champion of #YouthVoice and has just graduated with her first degree (Intercalated Global Health BSc) and is continuing her studies in Medicine at Imperial College London. She is now the youngest member of the NHS Assembly, one of the first Youth Expert Advisors at NHS England and Improvement, having volunteered for the NHS Youth Forum. She is the former chair of the Young Persons’ Advisory Group at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and in 2018 was selected as a #iwill ambassador for health at Step-Up-To-Serve. Earlier this year, Gabrielle was appointed to the oversight board at the Research and Economic Analysis for the Long term Centre at The Health Foundation. She has also worked as a young technical advisor to the World Health…
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