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Establishing Youth Voice

Establishing Youth Voice (PDF, 1.5 MB)

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Introduction

From 2021 to 2023, 8 young evaluators worked with the evaluation team at the Centre for Youth Voice to establish how youth voice is occurring in practice and the difference it makes across the three initiatives.

Those initiatives are the:

  • #iwill Fund: A £66 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community

  • Young People in the Lead Advisory Panel

  • Youth Policy Development Group

Findings

The evaluation found that youth voice can have a positive impact on young people, organisations and funders when it is properly supported

Young people who took part often developed greater:

  • confidence

  • leadership skills

  • employability skills

  • stronger relationships

  • improved wellbeing

They valued having real opportunities to influence decisions and work with trusted adults and peers.

The report found that successful youth voice depends on:

  • long-term investment

  • supportive relationships

  • skilled staff

  • senior leadership backing

  • clear links to decision-makers

Organisations that listened to young people were able to design more relevant programmes and make better-informed funding decisions.

However, the report also identified challenges. Youth voice opportunities are not always easy to access, some activities can be tokenistic, and organisations often struggle to measure impact consistently.

Digital delivery increased access for some young people but created barriers for others.

Overall, the report concludes that youth voice works best when it is embedded throughout an organisation rather than treated as a one-off activity.