Our Panels

I first got involved with Youth social action by joining the Northern  Ireland Anti Bullying Forum in 2021. After being diagnosed with a long-term health condition and having more free time due to not being able to go to university, I decided to get further involved with a number of different organisations and help other young people to feel empowered and inspired to stand up for what they believe in and try their voice. Some of the charities that I’m involved in include The Mix, Long Covid Support/Kids, Youth Employment UK and Fighting Words but there are many more! Due to my involvement with social action, I became an #iwill ambassador in August 2023 which has provided me with further opportunities. I’m using my voice to impact change by talking about my own experiences but also by working with other young people to make a difference. I do a lot of work with young people with disabilities and to support them to overcome barriers and feel less isolated and lonely. I think young people's voices are important as they are the people of the future and young people can really bring a unique and diverse  perspective. 

My interests range from reading, to making music, to fitness, but my true passion lies in supporting my local community and young people. This dedication led me to join my college's Student Union as the elected Diversity Officer, which paved the way for my involvement with the Aspiring Youth Board.

In these roles, I’ve had the opportunity to lead and participate in various community campaigns. One notable experience was discussing the Environmental Bill and 2050 Carbon Neutral Plan with Ministers, where I submitted detailed recommendations to DEFRA to increase youth engagement in policy-making.

In 2022, I chaired the Youth Advisory Board at EYF, and gained significant insights into youth advocacy as a result. I am excited to bring my experience to the Centre for Youth Voice as a Young Ambassador, where I aim to further empower and engage young people in decision-making processes.

Hi! My name is Django, I’m 17 years old, and I’m from Sheffield. I love my work as a youth social activist and I work on a variety of projects, from climate education to empowering other young people and ensuring access to equal opportunities.

I started as a member of Sheffield Youth Cabinet and now I work as a campaign coordinator and run my own blog. I am also still a part of Sheffield Youth. Throughout my four years in youth social action, I have learnt that young people can be and are valuable agents of change. 

I live in Norfolk and love everything from ballet and tap dancing, to reading and hiking.

I’m an aspiring engineer (currently working as a medical engineering intern) with a hope that I can change the world for the better, or at least some small part of it! I’m passionate about education and improving inclusivity for non-formal education provisions. As part of this, I am a member on the FED Learner’s Council. I also have a love for the Duke of Edinburgh Award as a Gold Award holder, UK Youth Ambassador and expedition instructor; as an instructor I’ve found a community in which I belong, a love for nature and I love seeing the smiles as the young people learn, grow and have a good time.

Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading and spending time with friends and family. I'm really passionate about getting young, underprivileged voices in power for change and impact.  

I love working with youth organisations, such as in my capacity as a Duke of Edinburgh UK Youth Ambassador and being selected for the Bright Green Future Programme focused on youth voice and environmental change in young people today.

I am studying for my A-levels in chemistry, biology and maths, it does take up quite a lot of my time but when I am not studying I like reading, hiking (because Wales has some really beautiful nature walks and mountains to climb) and spending time with my cat Lola. I also organise and volunteer at many fundraising events for different causes with the events ranging from organising culture days to helping out at local fairs and also dressing up as elves to help Santa deliver gifts! I've also volunteered abroad to help deprived communities that are facing hardships. I'm also a Welsh Youth Parliament member for my area (which is essentially a parliament for young people) where I speak up for people in my constituency, speak at events and at schools, organise workshops and listen to young people's worries and relay this to Ministers.

I love any type of adventure; I love to go on hikes, ocean swims, watching the sunset and ski trips! My favourite place is up in the mountains with all the snow! I currently take part in lots of youth-based projects, such youth forum and youth fund with my local council. I am also a ‘Make Your Mark Champion’ for my local area, focusing on health and wellbeing, and crime and safety. As well as this, I am Young Consultant at Participation People, where we ‘youth-proof’ and ‘future-proof’ businesses, ensuring they are equipped to work with young people in the best way possible! I’m so passionate about advocating for young people and ensuring all young people have the opportunity to share their voices and are heard by adults and decisionmakers. Your voice is the most powerful tool you have, and I want to encourage as many young people to use their voice, as well as represent those voices that might not be as loud as some others.

I am the Director of Youth Work at a local charity called the Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) where I oversee the strategic and financial management of a range of multi-award winning youth work services for disadvantaged young people in Brighton & Hove.  I was formerly involved in Lecturing at University of Brighton, in national Youth Work Strategy with the Institute for Youth Work, in international Youth Work with the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Workers Associations, and in campaigning with #YouthAsk around the Youth Investment Fund. Currently involved in Youth & Policy Journal, the Hope Collective and National Youth Sector Advisory Board.  I'm also studying for my MA Education with a focus on Youth Participation with a view to implementing all my learning through delivery at TDC.

Hi, I’m Bronte!

I’m part of the Voice & Influence team at Barnardo’s, where I project manage and lead initiatives like the NHS Youth Forum and the Youth Advisory Network, focusing on healthcare and youth empowerment. With a decade of experience in youth work, child protection, and specialising in therapeutic support around child sexual exploitation, I’ve also worked in young offenders/ institutions. Now at Barnardo’s, I’m deeply committed to amplifying young voices and advocating for their needs. My passion for this work is undeniable, and I’m excited to bring my knowledge and experiences to the Centre for Youth Voice, where I aim to make a positive impact.

After a varied career in retail, finance and adult education, I decided to take some ‘me’ time and went to university a little later in life. From there I supported young people in college and completed my Diploma in Education. I joined the youth service in June 2020 on a 6-hour contract whilst still working at college. Soon my role with the Youth service got bigger and I was given lots of opportunities to learn and support our young people. It soon became apparent where my heart lay so I handed in my notice at college and was given various project work including 1:1 sessions, small group work, running youth clubs and youth voice, supporting the Youth Senate.

What I love most about my work is how varied it is, every day is different, and I am honoured to be involved in the lives of our young people supporting them to grow and develop into the most amazing, caring and independent adults.

Hi, I’m Francesca and I am the Participation and Inclusion Lead at Young Somerset. I feel passionately that every child and young person should have the opportunity to share their lived experience and help influence the way we do things at Young Somerset.

I started my career as a Community Well-being Practitioner (CWP). As a CWP, I worked hard to ensure the CYP IAPT core principles of Participation, Accessibility, Awareness and Accountability were at the heart of all interactions with children and young people. Each individual taught me something new about life, growing up in this ever changing and complex world and just how brilliant young people can be. 

I was then lucky enough to be given the opportunity to use my training and skills in the role of Participation and Inclusion Lead. This role continues my passion for youth voice, and I’ll be supporting those who have accessed the service to share their experience and feedback. It’s important to me to ensure young people feel they have a voice and to show them how much they we value it.

Hi, I’m Grace. I’m passionate about the change young people can make and supporting them to do so. I currently work as Head of Youth at The Woodland Trust, overseeing all of our work to involve young people in our work. We know young people care deeply about the environment, and how we deal with challenges such as the climate and nature crises’ will affect their futures, and so my job is to make sure they are included in how we tackle them. I have previously worked in various youth engagement and youth participation roles at Girlguiding UK, IntoUniversity and the British Science Association.

My name is Jem, I started my youth work journey at Young People Cornwall in open access youth centres and subsequently have worked across outreach, detached and NEET programs. But youth voice and participation has always been at the heart of my work.

Within my role as Participation and Youth Work Manager, I have been able to champion youth voice across mental health and Local Authority Services, ensuring that young people are kept at the centre of reviewing, developing and evaluating provision and initiatives.

As a Youth Engagement Lead, I specialise in Youth Voice/Engagement initiatives within the third sector. I am passionate about all young people having an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions about things they are passionate about. Promoting equity and inclusion is central to my work, ensuring that every voice is empowered.  I believe that, to create long lasting and impactful change, young people must be involved in decisions which affect their lives.

Currently, I work for the EY Foundation - an organisation committed to ensuring that young people from low-income backgrounds have an employment and earnings potential that is equitable to other young people in the UK. We do so by working in collaboration with employers and key partners, ensuring that young people and their opinions are always central to decision making.

Hi, I’m Molly. I’m passionate about empowering young people and ensuring their voices are heard at every stage, leading to positive outcomes in their lives. As a dedicated ENFP, my life revolves around campaigning, advocacy, and my strongest skill—relationship-building. I believe that through meaningful exchanges, we can continually improve and make the world a better place.

Currently, I work as the Policy and Public Affairs Executive at The Scouts, where I've been working for the past 10 months. In my role, I strive to ensure that Scouts across the UK have their voices heard at the highest levels of government. I work with politicians to help more young people gain #SkillsForLife.

My favourite achievement this year has been publishing 'Our Scouts’ Manifesto'. This is more than a manifesto for our Scouts and volunteers but also for the wider civil society, helping everyone to build brighter tomorrows.

Hi I'm Robyn and I'm the Youth Leadership Programmes Manager at The Ernest Cook Trust, an educational charity. My role involves running programmes for youth-led environmental social action to break down barriers to access to nature and facilitating the Trust’s Youth Advisory Board. I have a background in community and youth work focusing on using the outdoors as a way to connect people to themselves and the wider world, and have worked in community gardens, city farms and urban parks. I'm passionate about youth leadership, particularly in the environmental sector, and is motivated to work in partnerships to build understanding of effective youth-led work.

I am Brook’s Participation Manager, and have delivered Brook’s participation work over the last 3.5 years. This includes overseeing 50 participation advisory group members across the UK, aged 16-45. I have a background in social work, and over 14 years experience of working directly with children and young people, including targeted work consulting with under-reached groups. I work closely with Brook’s Research and Evaluation team, ensuring young people’s views and experiences are integrated into research opportunities at Brook. Brook’s most recent publication was the EASY report. We engaged with over 2,400 young people to understand their experience and attitudes towards condoms, contraception and sexual health more broadly. Engagement included surveys, 1-1 interviews and small discussion groups.

Hello, I’m Sukpal. I’ve worked in youth voice and participation for over 10 years, and I’m dedicated to empowering children & young people with the skills and opportunities they need to actively participate in both local and national programmes. As the manager of the Participation and Engagement Service of a local authority, I oversee a range of youth voice platforms across children’s social care, education, public health, SEND services and more.

With my experience in establishing meaningful consultation and participation pathways, I place importance on co-production and transparency. My goal is to ensure that young people are not only heard, but also kept informed about the progress resulting from having their say.

I have been in my current role since November 2021, and I’m most proud of creating new opportunities to better hear from children & young people and winning the ‘Outstanding Team of the Year’ award!