Youth Voice Team Northern Ireland

Our Youth Voice Team

At The National Lottery Community Fund, we want to make sure young people’s voices are included in all our work, whether it’s through the grants we make, the people we influence or the things we learn - we support people and communities to thrive. We fund things that matter and in the last three years alone we’ve invested £861m in projects for children and young people – making us the biggest non-statutory funder of young people in the UK.

How have we been working with young people?

In 2016 we recruited a group of dynamic young people from Northern Ireland to work with us to ensure that young people have a voice on what matters to young people in Northern Ireland and to shape how National Lottery money will be used to support children, young people and communities in the future.

They voiced their opinions and used their experiences to help us distribute more than £20million of grants which are making a difference to young people across Northern Ireland. Their insight, knowledge, experience and skills made a big impact on our work and we wish them luck as they move on in their personal and professional lives.

We are delighted to welcome eight new young people who will be influencers, advocates, researchers and decision makers and bring their experience and their voice into our local grant making as part of our new NI Youth Voice Team.

The group meets monthly and decide as a team what work to focus on and how it should be achieved. They also receive support and guidance as part of a tailored training package to develop their skills and experience.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss the group further, please don’t hesitate to contact our Head of Youth Voice, Joanne Rich Joanne.rich@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Meet the NI Youth Voice Team

Ajuma

Ajuma is 23 years old and lives in Derry/Londonderry. She is currently a postgraduate student studying healthcare innovation and how we can use technology to improve our lives and make better everyday decisions. Ajuma is passionate about mental health, earth sustainability, and equality. She also spends her time volunteering at the Northwest Migrant Forum. Ajuma is most looking forward to looking back and saying the NI Youth Voice Team had an impact on our communities.

“I joined the Youth Voice Team to give the youth in my community a chance to engage in decisions that will affect their lives, teach them how to best use sources such as The National Lottery Community Fund and make their voices heard. Here in Derry/Londonderry, mental health has been a big topic with issues such as inequality and cross community differences prevalent. I want to be part of a force that can bridge the gap, break the bias and bring communities together because united we stand, but divided we fall.”