Get inspired by the founding signatories

Now, more than ever, we must empower young people to be changemakers. Young people are not simply the leaders of tomorrow. They have the energy, talent and ideas to make a positive difference today. 

To celebrate #iwillWeek 2020 (16-20th November), we are announcing founding signatories to the Power Of Youth Charter.  They represent leaders from across different sectors and from all over the UK, whose collective commitments to young people have the potential to make a wide-reaching impact as we take on the societal and environmental challenges of our time.

Each organisation is on a journey with their Power of Youth Charter commitments, and they are intended to develop over time.  We hope you find inspiration in their words, and we look forward to welcoming your organisation to sign up to the Power of Youth Charter.

Find out more here

Association of Colleges (AoC)

The Association of Colleges (AoC) exists to represent and promote the interests of Colleges and provide members with professional support services. The AoC is an active member of #iwill’s Education Advisory Group.

Our commitments:

  • AoC Sport will continue to run The Leadership Academy – a project to support colleges to enhance and develop volunteering programmes for their students. The aims of the academy are to get more college students volunteering in sport and physical activity and to diversify the volunteer workforce. Programmes include the Inclusive Ambassador programme and This Girl Can Ambassadors amongst others – more details here.  
  • AoC are committed to seeking and working on projects that fund opportunities for young people in colleges to strengthen their skills and employability. This includes working as the Learning Partner for the Pears #iWill Youth Social Action Pilots. Five colleges have designed projects to pilot and embed approaches to Youth Social Action. 

  • We will continue to build our Student Governor network and to provide networking and training opportunities to build their confidence and skills to empower them to participate in decision-making, leading and influencing – through targeted Student Governor events, training, networking opportunities and conferences. As part of this commitment we invite Student Governors to attend our flagship Annual Conference, free of charge. 

  • We are running our first ever event targeting college students – Colleges Live on 18 November 2020. This is a unique event featuring speakers from around the world, sharing their unique life experiences that will inspire and motivate FE students. We are promoting this opportunity through our member colleges who will provide access to the event for all their students.

  • We capture case studies from our member colleges about students supporting their communities, particularly in the time of the pandemic. We shared and promoted these stories as part of Colleges Week (October 2020) and will continue to do so. 
  •  Our Student of the Year Awards celebrate student success and awards often go to students who demonstrate overcoming adversity. We have fantastic examples of previous award winners and this year’s awards are already in train. There is more information here. 

  • College students and young people more generally are an integral part of our communications strategy. We engage with and support youth-led campaigns (like Votes at 16 and CPAG) and colleges students play a key part in our Love Our Colleges campaign where we encourage all college members to engage and empower students to make the case for change.  

David Hughes , Chief Executive, AoC.

“We’re proud at AoC to commit to the Power of the Youth charter, because we believe that students as active and engaged citizens should be given every opportunity to engage in the processes and decisions that affect their lives.

 Ultimately education should be about aiming to inspire and empower students to want to build a better future and the charter commitments are a great springboard for us and colleges to support young people to achieve this. We’ve already started, by creating a Student Governors Network, being key supporters of Votes at 16 and running our first ever event solely for college students. Today’s commitment and the inspirational stories shared during the Power of Youth festival are a reminder that we can always go further.

 I’ve always believed that students learn as much outside the classroom as they do inside it. As we navigate our way through the current uncertain and strange times we need to be providing the networks, tools and platforms to all young people who a deserve to have their voices heard.”

More from AoC championing the #PowerOfYouth:

British Red Cross

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global network of volunteers.

Our commitments:

  • We will create more social action opportunities for young people to give their time and talents to make a positive difference in their communities.
  • We will support youth social action to better connect communities and build resilience. 
  • Youth Social action will be a key element of building a #Power of Kindness movement where young people are empowered to act and encouraged to speak up on issues that matter to them.

  • We will ensure Young people are able to influence organisational decisions as an important part of our national volunteer representation model.
  • We will continue to a support a national Youth Leadership Team of young people representing youth programmes and young volunteers which connects with our Board.
  • We will promote and encourage the inclusion of young volunteers on recruitment panels and advisory groups.

  • We will work with international, national, devolved, regional and local partners collaboratively to innovate and deliver exciting social action programmes. 
  • We will share our learning, contribute to sector developments and be enthusiastic to learn from good practice

  • We will report our progress through the Power of Youth index
  • We will ensure learning days and evaluations explore the benefits of youth social action. 
  • We will understand more about the impact of youth social action on community resilience

  • We will promote the opportunity to recognise and celebrate young people’s impact through the Young  Humanitarian Award and Values Awards. 
  • We will accredit young people’s successes through the RED (Recognise, Empower, Develop) framework. 
  • We will celebrate young people achievements through our internal and external communications channels.

Mike Adamson, Chief Executive Officer, British Red Cross

“British Red Cross is proud to be a founding signatory of the Power of Youth charter. We believe that all children and young people should be empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives, their communities and broader society.

Everyday we see young people giving their time and talents to help others making a positive difference to communities across the UK. We believe in the power of their kindness to make a significant difference to people in need and are proud of the steps we have made to ensure young people voices are heard.”

More from British Red Cross championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Brook Young People

Brook is the UK’s leading sexual health and wellbeing charity for young people.

Our commitments:

  • Co-design and deliver surveys and campaigns around specific sexual health issues as determined by young people.
  • Incorporate youth social action into our Education and Clinical work with young people where possible.
  • Work with young people to design our annual Sexual Health Week programme and campaign.

  • Involve young people in opportunities to influence commissioning and grant application processes.
  • Ensure young people are involved in our Clinical and Education services to ensure young people inform service delivery and education interventions, to maintain service user focus.
  • Start the process of recruiting a young Trustee under 25.

  • Collaborate with diverse youth organisations across the UK to provide opportunities for young people to influence our work.
  • Continue our work with schools, colleges, universities and youth organisations to reach more young people.

  • Report our progress annually through the Power of Youth Index.
  • Provide opportunity to highlight participation work with young people throughout our Annual Report.
  • Use findings from research and social action work to highlight concerns/successes relating to young people’s experience of sexual health.

  • Provide opportunities for young people to become involved with our communication channels and messaging.
  • Celebrate young people undertaking social action projects in their community as part of Sexual Health Week (held annually).

Helen Marshall, Chief Executive, Brook Young People.

“I am delighted that we have signed up to the Power of Youth Charter to showcase Brook’s dedication and commitment to involving young people throughout all aspects of our work.

Young people are the leaders of today and they tell us they want a society that recognises their right to healthy relationships and open conversations about sex and sexuality.  It is vital that we listen to their voices, champion their campaign and work together to challenge stigma, shift attitudes and effect meaningful change.  Brook will continue to invest in the development of young people’s skills and knowledge, enabling them to inform our practice with their experience and co-produce services and products.”

More from Brook championing the #PowerOfYouth:

The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC)

The Careers & Enterprise Company is the national network set up to inspire and prepare young people for the fast-changing world of work.

Our commitments:

  • We will support Careers Leaders in schools, colleges and special schools with resources, tools, and training to empower young people to take part in Youth Social Action projects and initiatives across England.
  • Through our national communities of practice, we will promote and share examples of inspiring practice and activity. Young people will be front and centre, whether it’s programmes of support targeting social mobility or vocational education, our role is to encourage impact and empower young people.

  • During 2020/21 The Careers and Enterprise Company will deliver a new Youth Engagement Strategy. The company will appoint its first ever Youth Board Member to its strategic board of directors, to give young people a decision making voice.  This role will shape and then be supported by a national Youth Advisory Group, with a remit to drive impact through our company strategic decision making and enable us to lead initiatives to measure the impact of our work through the voice of young people. 

  • Through our network of Enterprise Advisers and Careers Hubs we will drive collaboration, working with Careers Leaders, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Cornerstone Employers, stakeholder partners and providers to support and develop aspirational employer encounters and careers guidance programmes, to enable inclusive participation for young people in schools, special schools and colleges.
  • We will develop and deliver focussed resources to ensure Careers Leaders can work with young people to empower informed decision making about their futures.

  • We will continue to share young people’s career stories through our spotlight Work It film series.
  • 2021 will see CEC develop a new national Careers Survey to mobilise  the opinions of young people and we will capture and share best practice from Careers Hubs and Careers Leaders to motivate  and inspire.
  • We will report the progress of the Careers and Enterprise Company Youth Engagement Strategy through our board meetings and report evidence through Careers Leader Surveys and Careers Hub Evaluation reports.

  • The effect of our work on young people is what matters most. We will include young people and give them a platform in key company events – for example our annual National Cornerstone Employers event in January and in March we will reflect on our progress and partnerships, through the national recognition and celebration of young people’s achievement.

John Yarham, Interim CEO, The Careers and Enterprise Company.

“Since making our original pledge to the #iwill campaign, The Careers and Enterprise Company have focussed hard on supporting young people to be empowered to be changemakers through the development and sharing of our Youth Social Action Toolkit for schools and colleges. We are really excited to cement our commitment at the next level by signing the Power of Youth Charter during the Power of Youth Festival.”

More from CEC championing the #PowerOfYouth:

BBC Children In Need

BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s corporate charity, existing to change the lives of children and young people across the UK. Children In Need is also a match funding partner for the #iwill Fund.

Our commitments:

  • We will invest in youth social action as part of our commitment to the #iwill fund as well as other proactive initiatives
  • Through our wider funding, we will invest in a wide range of local organisations who support young people to drive social action in their communities

  • We will recruit two Youth Advisors to help co-produce our youth social action and other funds and to help shape our broader approach to sharing power with children and young people
  • We will engage more young people in the decision making panels around our investments
  • We will ensure positive, meaningful engagement of young people in advisory groups which help shape our work
  • We will involve young people in senior recruitment decisions

  • We will work collaboratively with young people and other funders (through the #iwill fund and the collaborative of children and young people funders we are convening) to have a shared vision for investing in young people
  • Where appropriate, we will pool or align funds with other funders for the benefit of children and young people
  • We will work collaboratively with our grantees and the wider sector to gather and share insights for our funding
  • We will have a seat on the #iwill fund Advisory Board and the #iwill partnership Board

  • We will gather insights around each of our programmes and funding streams which we will share with partners, delivery organisations and wider stakeholders

  • Through our own platforms and the relationship with the BBC, we will work to create opportunities to celebrate the positive impact young people are having on their communities
  • Through our annual appeal night, we will showcase the positive impact young people are having

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive, BBC Children in Need.

“BBC Children In Need are proud to be a founding signatory for the Power Of Youth Charter. We know that when young people are given the platform and support to be leaders in their communities, this has a hugely positive impact on the young person, but also for us all. We are committed to doing more as a funder and as a communicator to share power with children and young people and we encourage other organisations to consider signing up to the Power Of Youth Charter and backing young people. This is more important now than ever before.” Read the full blog post here.

More from Children In Need championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK.

Our commitments:

  • We will continue to support and fund youth action as part of our strategy, which includes priorities on empowering young leaders and children and young people’s rights.
  • Through the Act for Change Fund, we support young people with experience of disadvantage to lead social change. A joint initiative with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund and the #iwill Fund, Act For Change provides resources for young people to challenge social injustice, find ways of overcoming inequality and give voice to issues they are experiencing

  • We have recruited and are working with an Involving Young People Collective. They are helping us to design and test ways in which we can involve young people in our work, in terms of both what and how we fund.
  • Ultimately, we want young people’s insights and expertise to enrich and inform decision-making within Esmée to increase the impact of our funding and wider work and are committed to working with the Collective to achieve that. 
  • We have seen the insight and expertise our Youth Panel Members have brought to the Act for Change Fund.
  • We have also set up the Care Experienced Young People’s Network as part of our Leaving Care Learning Programme.

  • We are committed to the principle of collaboration.
  • We are delighted to be working with our partners Paul Hamlyn Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund and #iwill Fund in order to deepen the impact and learning of the Act for Change Fund.
  • We also work with a range of other funders in this space, particularly the Blagrave Trust and the other Listening Fund partners. And of course, our partnerships with the organisations we fund are vital to everything we do and we commit to continuing to collaborate.

  • Throughout our funding we are committed to learning, and sharing insights. 
  • Working with our Act for Change Fund learning partners Renaisi and Centre for Youth Impact, we commit to capturing and sharing learning, as well as supporting organisations in the Fund to reflect individually and collectively on the impact of their work.
  • Our Involving Young People Collective are committed to testing and learning about different approaches to involving young people at Esmée.
  • We have worked collaboratively with members of the Collective to set the outcomes for this work, and we are committed to working together to review and act on the learning.

  • We celebrate the insight, energy and fresh thinking young changemakers bring to the social and environmental challenges we face today.
  • We will use our communication channels to amplify the stories of young people leading change through Act for Change and our broader funding as well as sharing the views of the Collective as they work to inform our thinking.

Caroline Mason, CEO, Esmée Fairbairn.

“We have always believed that young people should be at the heart of decisions that impact on their lives and recognise the invaluable insight, energy and fresh perspectives they bring to the social and environmental challenges we face today. We have long supported amazing organisations that champion and support young people to challenge injustice and to lead the change – including through the Act for Change Fund, our partnership with Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund and #iwill.

We also want young people’s insights to enrich and inform our decision-making – in terms of both what and how we fund. So, we’re delighted to be working with the incredible young consultants who form Esmée’s Involving Young People Collective to develop and test ideas to achieve this. There is much we can learn from young people. And we’re excited to share our journey with the Collective over the coming year.”

More from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Fair Education Alliance (FEA)

The Fair Education Alliance is a coalition of 189 organisations which aims to tackle inequality in the education system. The FEA have taken a leading role in #iwill as a key member of our Education Advisory Council.

Our commitments:

  • We commit to Incorporating youth social action into our all our activity: to enable participation in collective action working groups, collective policy and influencing and involvement in the selection and support of our Scaling Award winners
  • We commit to making youth social action one of our Alliance’s collective action priorities and convening a group of member organisations in a working group to pursue this priority

  • The Fair Education Alliance has a Board of Trustees and a Board of Advisors. We already have one trustee under 25 and commit to opening up and ensuring we have young people on both Boards.
  • From early 2021 we will be establishing a Education Youth Advisory Council for the FEA with 50-50 membership between young people and adult sector leaders (this is an evolution of what was the #iwill education advisory council)

  • The Fair Education Alliance has ~200 member organisations who we work with and convene to collaborate to tackle educational inequality. Further to our own organisational commitments on youth social action we will be working with these organisations to encourage and share ideas and resources for how more organisations can promote youth social action in their organisations and across society

  • We commit to including the evidence and stories of our youth social action reports in our annual reports and other reporting

  • We commit to giving young people equal platform to our other member organisations in our comms (bulletin/social media/media etc) and at meetings and events.

Sam Butters and Gina Cicerone, Co-CEOs of the Fair Education Alliance:

The Fair Education Alliance exists to bring diverse individuals and organisations together to shape and then drive collective social action which will make education fairer for all young people. We are firmly committed to young people being part of that social action alongside adults from business, the third sector and education – our mission is not just for them, it needs to be with them too. This is their education system and young people not only have a right to be part of the movement to shape it, but also have critical insights, experience and ideas that we need to help us in the mission.

Moreover we believe that young people from all backgrounds taking part in youth social action across society will itself  help to make education outcomes fairer. Youth social action helps young people develop the skills and social and emotional competencies to help them thrive in life and a fairer education system is one where all young people have the opportunity to be leaders in their communities and society. We are committed to supporting more youth social action across society as one of our collective action priorities.

More from the FEA championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Girlguiding

Girlguiding is the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women.

Our commitments:

  • Our programme and operations: We will continue to release activities under one of our 6 core programme themes; Take Action, that enable and empower girls to have a say in the world around them, have the confidence to raise their voice and be inclusive advocates for change. We will continue to support girls to take part in additional activities that involve volunteering and community action, including Duke of Edinburgh awards and our Queen’s Guide award.
  •  In communities and society: We will continue to deliver programmes that empower girls to be positive changemakers and influence decision makers, including our UK youth panels. We will continue to build partnerships and create opportunities for girls and young women to fundraise for causes they care about, at UK, national, regional and unit level. We will continue to support girls to make positive change on the issues they tell us they care about most, including as part of our Future Girl manifesto.

  • Co-production: Starting in 2021, we will work with our girl insight pool, girl steering group and specialist volunteers to ensure that our offer to girls is co-created and collaborative. We will continue to work with our youth panels to guide us in our research and external affairs work.
  •  Voice and leadership: Starting in 2021, we will develop unit level activities that promote and support giving girls voice and decision-making responsibility week on week as they meet in guiding. We will continue to build on our Young Leader qualification, which is designed to help young people take an active, positive role in running a Rainbow, Brownie or Guide unit and give them leadership skills for life.
  •  Best practice: Starting in 2021, we will develop our best practice and co-produce new guidance for staff on how to deepen girls’ meaningful engagement in the range of our work in an inclusive way.
  •  Governance: Girls will continue to have an opportunity to join the decision-making groups and forums that govern projects and programmes, and we are committed to young people being engaged in the overall governance of our charity, including at trustee board level. We have recruited young women as trustees and will continue to do this in future.

  • Corporate partnerships: We will continue to work with cooperate partners, funders and expert partners to increase our ability to reach more girls and young women with a focus on reaching girls in areas of deprivation.
  • Sector partnerships: We will continue to work with our British Youth Council delegation, supporting young people to have a say and be heard in the UK. We will continue to work with partners, such as the Back Youth Alliance, to raise the profile of the youth sector and its invaluable offer in supporting young people to take action. We will continue to work collaboratively with expert partners in areas we feel are underrepresented within guiding, to ensure we are supporting the needs of all members and to deliver our promise on diversity and inclusion.
  • Parliamentary partnerships: We will continue to work with and influence decision makers at Westminster and in the devolved parliaments to ensure girls’ voices are heard on the issues that affect them, including in response to Covid-19.
  • Global partnerships: We will continue to work with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to support girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world.

  • Impact: We will continue to track and record social action activity by young members and the impact it has on communities across the UK, and show the power of this youth social action through our communications.
  • Survey: We will continue to seek insight into girls’ and young women’s views on social action and the issues affecting them through our annual Girls’ Attitudes Survey.

  • Communications: We will continue to provide on- and offline platforms for young people to make their voice heard and tell their stories of social action and change. We will strive to ensure our content is diverse and representative of girls and young women across the UK. We will always celebrate our young members who are doing great work in their communities through recognition in guiding and publicly in the media and online.

Angela Salt OBE, Chief Executive, Girlguiding.

Girlguiding believes that all children and young people should be empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that they care about and that affect their lives, in their communities and broader across society. We know that young people have the power to create change and strengthen communities.

In Girlguiding, youth social action is happening all the time, whether it’s through our volunteering opportunities, units coming together to fundraise or girls making active change in their communities. We want to continue to celebrate the achievements of our Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, and empower them to be active citizens. We are proud to adopt this Charter, committing to growing the power of youth within our organisation.

More from Girlguiding championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Jack Petchey Foundation

The Jack Petchey Foundation is an active supporter of the #iwill campaign. We exist to inspire young people, encourage them to engage in society and celebrate their achievements. 

Our commitments:

  • Youth Voice is at the centre of our work. Young people have identified the priorities for our grant making and programmes and new programmes will be developed in response to their expressed need.
  • Opportunities for youth engagement will be built into all aspects of our organisational strategy.

  • We will recruit a Youth Trustee to the Board
  • Our Youth Consultation Panel will advise the JPF Board on development of our programme

  • We will work with all schools, colleges and youth organisations to reach more young people through our partner programmes
  • We will increase recruits to our Achiever Network and Internship programmes

  • We will publicise the many positive stories we receive about young people taking action in their communities
  • We will ensure regular and timely reports for the media
  • We will develop our work on capturing the ‘difference we make

  • We will create opportunities for young people to blog, Vlog and create content to share on our social media channels. 
  • We will provide training and support for young people to engage in their communities and through the media

Trudy Kilcullen, Chief Executive Officer, Jack Petchey Foundation.

“The Jack Petchey Foundation is proud to commit to the Power of Youth Charter because we believe young people have the power to shape the future now.

We are committed to ensuring young people and their voices are embedded throughout all aspects of our work. Our Youth Consultancy Panel influences all aspects of our work and recently supported a survey of over 6000 young people leading to a report – Shaping Our Future: The Jack Petchey COVID-19 Youth Survey. This presents young people’s thoughts on the lockdown, education, employment, youth clubs and more. They shared with us their concerns for the future, particularly around employment opportunities, which has led to the expansion of the Jack Petchey Internship scheme to be doubled into a £1m programme supporting the development of future leaders of the third sector through year-long placements at youth charities.

Every day we see the inspiring things young people do in their community, including during the pandemic, where our survey found that over half of young people have taken positive action to help others. We believe the way young people contribute to society should be encouraged, championed and celebrated, and that they should be given more opportunities to lead.”

More from Jack Petchey Foundation championing the #PowerOfYouth:

NCS Trust

NCS (National Citizen Service) is a youth programme that runs across England and Northern Ireland, focusing on social cohesion, social engagement and social mobility. Since 2009, hundreds of thousands of young people have taken part in NCS programmes.

Our commitments:

  • Put high quality youth social action at the core of the NCS theory of change and service delivery for our network of ~120 providers of social action for 15-18 year olds
  • Embed ‘six principles’ of social action into quality framework and programme planning guidance
  • Expand opportunities for year-round social action through community action groups
  • Trial longer-term volunteering opportunities as an employability pathway (with a focus on low-income & BAME young people)
  • Ensure participation in social action for those from low-income & BAME backgrounds

  • Embed a Youth Voice focus to ensure our strategy and decision-making, is driven by the voices and insights of the young people we serve
  • Embed our Youth Voice Forum (YVF) into NCS Trust’s governance
  • Allow young people to shape, influence and challenge our thinking and ways of working, at all levels
  • Provide development and learning opportunities for young people within the Trust and our network of delivery partners
  • Ensure representation on YVF of young people from low-income & ethnic minority backgrounds

  • Create high-quality resources to be delivered by schools and colleges, focused on personal development, volunteering and social action
  • Co-create bespoke co-curricular programmes with youth organisations, schools and colleges
  • Co-create high-quality digital resources, freely available to all, including younger age groups
  • Partner with experts to provide world-class blended personal development & skill building programmes, including for those who cannot access in-person programmes

  • Advocate for, generate and share research and evidence around benefits of youth social action
  • Support and champion the Power of Youth Index and lead by example to embed it within the Trust and across our wider delivery network
  • Evaluate NCS programmes delivering social action to establish the impact and benefits for young people and their communities
  • Capture and share stories of positive impact from young people, their parent/ guardians and wider programme beneficiaries

  • Put young people at the centre of our brand and communications and campaigns by letting them co-create our campaigns, as a part of their development
  • Continue successful Youth Rising podcast, produced by young people, for young people, to ensure they have a voice on issues that matter
  • Give young people a platform and a role through our social channels and blog: amplifying positive stories of young people, celebrating our Change-makers and their impact, and highlighting topics that matter most to them

Mark Gifford,  CEO of the NCS (National Citizen Service)

NCS is proud to sign up to the Power of Youth Charter. Empowering young people is central to the work we do. Over the past months, we’ve seen how young people have stepped up and said ‘No We Can’ to support their local communities. More than 600,000 NCS national citizens have contributed over 14.5 million hours of social action on NCS programmes, with over 200,000 hours to help during the pandemic alone.

As the flagship youth action programme for 15-17 year olds in England, NCS offers young people the chance to become active citizens in their community. NCS is dedicated to providing a platform to make sure young people – no matter what their background – have a voice on the issues that matter most to them.

Now more than ever, Generation Z want to have a say on the decisions that will shape their future. We look forward to working collaboratively with the wider youth sector on the commitments set out in the Charter.

More from NCS championing the #PowerOfYouth:

NHS England and NHS Improvement

NHS England provides health and high quality care for all, now and for future generations.

Our commitments:

  • We will advance youth voice and youth social action across the NHS by supporting our NHS Youth Forum members to engage with and empower local hospital youth forums.

  • We will introduce ‘reverse mentoring’ between young people and the NHS leadership. Reverse mentoring is a programme highlighted in the NHS Diversity and Inclusion Strategy as way to create more opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to influence decision-making.

  • We will increase our efforts working alongside our partners, to significantly expand youth volunteering opportunities for example by growing the number of NHS Cadets sites.

  • We will collate and share evidence about the impact of youth volunteering programmes delivered in partnership with the voluntary and community sector, and highlight the benefits to the young volunteers, patients and healthcare staff.

  • As part of our support for youth social action for example through the NHS Youth Forum, NHS Cadets and youth volunteering programmes across health and care settings, we will celebrate the significant and positive contribution of young people to the NHS.

Lord David Prior, Chair, NHS England .

In the NHS young volunteers have made a significant contribution to the delivery of health and care services around the country. We recognise and celebrate the impact of the NHS Youth Forum, which has provided an opportunity for young people, particularly from low-income, diverse and ethnic minority backgrounds, to participate in and shape our governance and policymaking.

By signing the Power of Youth Charter we are re-affirming the commitment of NHS England to listen, engage and empower children and young people. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they’re leading now.

Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS England and NHS Improvement.

On behalf of NHS England and NHS Improvement, I am delighted to be signing the #iwill Power of Youth Charter along with Lord David Prior, Chair of the NHS England Board. The principles that underpin the Charter, are values that we share.  We are making public our commitment to children’s rights, leadership and empowerment.

We are already making progress. The NHS Youth Forum members completed excellent work on expressing the view of young people to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), working in partnership with the National Network of Designated Healthcare Professionals. And as one of the biggest employers in the world, we have created opportunities for people to take their first steps towards employment in the NHS, through youth social action activity; for example volunteering at health and care settings including during the pandemic or becoming an NHS Cadet in partnership with St John Ambulance.

I am really are proud of being part of young people’s voice and volunteering leadership journey. #PowerofYouth

More from NHS championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Paul Hamlyn Foundation aims to champion people’s voice and agency as part of our commitment to social justice. We want people to have greater control over the decisions that shape their lives, particularly young people. People and groups, especially those facing the greatest challenges, must be at the heart of efforts to design, influence and lead change.  

Our Act for Change Fund supports young people to lead social change. A joint initiative with Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund, the Fund provides resources for young people to challenge social injustice, find ways of overcoming inequality and give voice to issues they are experiencing. We also support young people to be positive changemakers and to take social action through our Youth Fund, Ideas and Pioneers Fund and our Shared Ground Fund. Through our communications, we aim to amplify the work of those we support and to give them a platform to influence and affect change.

Our work championing young people’s voice and agency will be an integral part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Our commitments:

  • To open up our decision-making structures and to ensure that our grant-making reflects the needs and experiences of young people, we have appointed young people as advisors to our Act for Change Fund and as members of our Migration and Youth Grants Panels. 
  • As we consider the impact of the pandemic, we want to ensure that young people are at the heart of building back better. This means we aim to support the next generation of young leaders, acknowledging the challenging context of young people’s identity and lived experience. We will support organisations that work with young people so that power is shared.
  • We are also part of a group of funders supporting the Young Trustees movement to ensure that young people have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, and to invest in the next generation of leaders.

  • We believe in the power of working together to achieve a greater impact. Through the Act for Change Fund we work with Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund and #iwill to support young people to lead change. With the help of our our learning partner Renaisi and The Centre for Youth Impact, we want to bring the organisations we support and the young people they work with together to share learning, support one another and find opportunities for collaboration.
  • We have also piloted the Opportunity Fund, with the Blagrave Trust and in partnership with Peer Power and Launch It. This programme provides a part-time basic income, as well as support for project costs, directly to aspiring young activists, campaigners or social entrepreneurs.
  • In response to Covid-19, we’ve contributed to several Emergency Response Funds and worked alongside fellow funders to make grants to organisations affected by the pandemic, many of which work with young people in an asset-based way. 
  • We have recently renewed our partnership with Unbound Philanthropy which aims to help young people who do not have permanent immigration status or are undocumented to access the advice they need.

  • We support those we fund to collect, share and use evidence in order to generate quality learning. Working with our learning partner Renaisi and The Centre for Youth Impact, we hope to capture and share learning from the organisations supported by the Act for Change Fund. 
  • We will convene funded organisations and partners, and ensure that the experiences and reflections of young people inform programme learning.
  • We have also commissioned Cloud Chamber to develop case studies of several organisations supported through the Youth Fund. We will share learning to help other youth sector organisations understand how they can work in a way that recognises and builds on young people’s strengths.

  • We want to celebrate the impact of young people as changemakers.
  • We will use our communications channels to amplify the work of the young people we support through the Act for Change Fund and our other programmes.
  • We want to show how the work of those we support makes a difference, and to share learning to support others to drive positive change.
  • In our communications, we will pay close attention to the language we use when describing young people and focus on supporting, developing and championing asset-based approaches.

Ruth Pryce, Head of Programme – Young People, Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

We want to empower young people to shape their lives and lead change. As a grant-maker, we support work that is led by young people – where power is shared and youth voice and experience influences decision-making. We will work towards the goals set out in the Power of Youth Charter. Inspired by these pledges, we also commit to:

1.      Putting young people at the heart of building back better. This means supporting the next generation of young leaders and acknowledging the challenging context of young people’s identity and lived experience

2.      Hosting a variety of opportunities to engage young people in how we work and we fund. This means being accountable – listening to and taking action based on young people’s insight.

3.      Further amplifying the power of youth. We will identify and create opportunities for young people to be heard.

More from PHF championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Pears Foundation

Pears Foundation aims to benefit society by promoting understanding of key issues through research and educational programmes; driving engagement in social progress across the UK, particularly in young people and supporting organisations focused on wellbeing for everyone.

Our commitments:

Pears Foundation will continue to fund and support organisations providing inclusive, high quality, Youth Social Action opportunities, including:

  • First Give, to enable them to grow their whole-year youth social action programme into more schools and colleges across England and Wales.
  • The Duke of Edinburgh Award, to enable them to reach more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Pears Foundation will work through its Partners to integrate authentic youth leadership and decision-making into governance and management structures including:

  • the appointment of young Trustees, eg by Young Citizens and Girlguiding UK.
  • the creation of Youth Boards or Advisory Panels, eg by The Woodland Trust and First Give.
  • the inclusion of young people on grant-making panels, eg by Leeds Community Foundation for the Pears Youth Fund.

Pears Foundation will work collaboratively with its Partners, their beneficiaries, and other funders to create opportunities and to share learning, including:

  • Continuing to support the collaboration and shared learning of NHS Trusts offering youth volunteering.
  • Joining the #iWill Partnership to maintain and develop the legacy of the #iWill Campaign.
  • Supporting the Fair Education Alliance to champion high quality, inclusive youth social action across the education sector.

Pears Foundation will continue to support research and learning, to build evidence and examples of the power of young people, including:

  • Working with fellow funders through tools eg 360 Giving and the #iWill Fund Learning Hub to understand the impact of our funding.
  • Sponsoring a special Youth Social Action edition of the Chartered College of Teaching’s Impact Journal.

Pears Foundation will champion and celebrate young people, encouraging our Partners to use their platforms to give young people a voice, including:

  • Supporting and amplifying awards recognising the contribution of young people eg in NHS Trusts and education.
  • Encourage Partners to prioritise the voices of young people at events and ceremonies eg #iWill Ambassadors.

Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair, Pears Foundation

“In November 2013, Pears Foundation joined the #iWill Campaign with a pledge to invest an additional £500,000 to give more young people the opportunity to access high quality programmes.  Seven years on, we’re proud to have invested over £15 million in youth social action, supporting our Partners to sustain the incredible work they do, as well as encouraging new developments and innovations.

But none of this stops here.  So as a founding funder of the #iWill Campaign, we are delighted to be a founding signatory of the Power of Youth Charter, and look forward to working alongside our fellow signatories and Partners to continue the great work of the campaign.”

More from Pears Foundation championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF)

The Premier League Charitable Fund creates and supports activities that inspire young people to achieve their potential and positively impact their communities. 

Our commitments:

  • We will support and promote social action opportunities for young people through the Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Inspires and Premier League Kicks programmes.
  • We will identify and encourage opportunities in educational and community settings for young people aged 5-25.

  • We will work with Club Community Organisations (CCOs) to identify young people that are highly motivated to be involved in social action. This group will be used by the PLCF as a sounding board to provide ideas and feedback to inform decision making.
  • The PLCF General Manager will have a ‘reverse mentor’ who will be a young person, and PLCF will facilitate other opportunities for reverse mentoring for senior leaders in CCOs.

  • We will create resources and host training opportunities to support CCOs to empower young people.
  • We will collaborate with different organisations to tackle issues raised by our young beneficiaries across our funded programmes. 
  • We will take a seat on the #iwill Fund Advisory Panel to ensure more young people get involved in social action through well-targeted collaborative funding.

  • We will gather evidence and capture case studies to showcase the impact youth social action on our beneficiaries and communities.

  • We will provide a platform for young people to be recognised across our programmes by hosting events to celebrate their achievements. 
  • We will support Club Community Organisations to raise the profile of young people across their programmes. 

Ruth Shaw, General Manager, PLCF.

The Premier League Charitable Fund are signing the Power Of Youth Charter and committing to helping young people bring positive change about issues that matter the most to them. We, and the 90+ Club Community Organisations that we fund, have been on an exciting journey of discovery around social action.

We’ve seen what is possible when young people take action on the issues they care about. Football has a unique reach and appeal, and young people across the country are using the sport they love and their power and passion in positive and exciting ways. Through our programmes we will provide more opportunities for young people to take action and demonstrate their potential and ability to bring about change in their communities.

More from PLCF championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Premier League

Using the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs, we aim to inspire children and young people to realise their potential. 

Our commitments:

  • Using the appeal of the Premier League and Club badge, we will continue to support and empower young people from every section of the community, to take action and have a lasting impact.

  • We will develop a youth advisory group to consult young people on Premier League programmes and initiatives, ensuring their ideas help to shape our decision-making. This group will be representative of the communities we serve.

  • We will work with our clubs and our partners to reach more young people and provide them with opportunities to bring about positive change on the issues that matter the most to them.

  • As part of our national community programmes, we will capture and showcase high quality case studies to demonstrate the benefits of youth social action.

We will continue to use Premier League and Club platforms to promote the positive difference our young people are making in schools and communities across England and Wales.

The Scouts

The Scouts prepares young people with skills for life, supported by amazing leaders delivering an inspiring programme. The Scouts has worked closely with #iwill as a member of the Youth United Foundation, and more recently as a member of the Back Youth Alliance.

Our commitments:

  • We will continue to invest in and co-create, social action opportunities with young people from diverse backgrounds and charity partners, that are rooted in our 6-25 programme.

  • We will continue having young people, under 25, at the heart of our decision making processes; on our board of trustees, programmes of work and other national decision making groups.

  • We will continue to work with other organisations in the charity sector to create social action opportunities, through our work on ‘A Million Hands’ and other campaigns. We will continue to create resources that support adults to empower and support young people.

  • We will work with our A Million Hands partners on how to evidence impact of the campaign and continue to report on the number of our young people taking part in social action opportunities and how this has developed them.

  • We will continue to celebrate the achievements of our young people who take part in our social action opportunities and ensure young people and their achievements are at the heart of our events and communications.

More from the Scouts championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Spirit of 2012

We are the London 2012 legacy funder. We build sustainable social legacies from the inspiration of events, investing to improve how people feel about themselves, other people and their communities.

Our commitments:

  • Spirit of 2012 is committed to funding projects that support and empower young people to make a positive change to society.
  • We will continue to fund innovative projects that inspire young people to play an active role in their communities, such as EmpowHER, Breaking Boundaries, Creative Minds and Bay Create.

  • Spirit of 2012 has had a Youth Advisory Panel for six years, which has involved 30 young people in our decision-making processes
  • Our Youth Advisory Panel has researched, designed and awarded £300,000 of grant funding through their own, Youth Advisory Panel Challenge Fund. This year’s award to Whitley Bay Big Local’s Bay Create, focusses on supporting younger and older people to create together.
  • We will continue to include members of our Youth Advisory Panel on the interview panels for all our major grant awards, and invite and encourage them to participate in our project strategic steering groups.
  • The Chair of the Youth Panel has always been a full Board Director to put young people at the heart of our decision making, and we are recruiting a young trustee to the Board in January 2021.

  • Spirit of 2012 places high value on our partnerships with organisations like UK Youth, One Million Mentors, and the Youth Sport Trust who work to improve opportunities for young people, regardless of background, ability or ethnicity.
  • We continue to cultivate strategic partnerships whose values on youth inclusion align with our own and those of the Power of Youth charter.
  • Supporting local sports, cultural and voluntary organisations throughout the UK who give young people the opportunity to make friends, and improve their own wellbeing and that of their peers is embedded into everything we do.

  • We commit to sharing learning, both from young people and from the organisations supporting them, about how we can improve access, and create better opportunities that lead to better outcomes for young people.
  • We aim to disseminate these insights with others, so that they too can remove barriers to engagement and deliver effective programmes.

  • We pledge our support to the Power of Youth and the #iwill campaign and will use our channels to amplify messaging and reach new audiences.
  • We will continue to empower our Youth Advisory Panellists to represent the views and circumstances of young people across the UK on our social media channels and website.

Ruth Hollis, Chief Executive, Spirit of 2012.

We are committed to continuing to work in partnership to promote and support youth voice and the right for all young people to have agency over their future. As we come out of COVID and young people risk being left behind, this is needed now more than ever.

More from Spirit of 2012 championing the #PowerOfYouth:

UK Youth

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. As an organisation, we make certain that the youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led and informed by high-quality evidence.

Our commitments:

  • Focus on creating more social action opportunities through our programmes
  • Create opportunities for young people who’ve been through our programmes to become leaders in their communities
  • Identify and understand the barriers that prevent some young people taking part in social action
  • Develop inclusive and accessible opportunities to ensure that all young people have the chance to take part in social action

  • Involve young people in all key decision-making in our organisation including; grant-making panels, recruitment, and setting strategic priorities and campaigns
  • Co-design and create programmes/content to youth workers and young people based on their needs
  • Create a variety of ways for young people to have a platform to share their voice including; story-telling, themed networks and projects, UK Youth Voice (national youth steering group)
  • Recruit young trustees under 25

  • Work with a diverse range of organisations to increase reach to more young people across the UK
  • Support more organisations to undertake the Social Action Quality Mark enabling them to provide a high-quality experience to young people
  • Work with funders and decision makers to secure more investment and support for young people
  • Create opportunities to bring different sectors together to create more opportunities to empower young people
  • Co-create resources with young people and youth workers that support others to create opportunities for social action and empower young people

  • Build the evidence base of social action through our programmes and content to young people
  • Report progress annually through the Power of Youth Index
  • Share and embed learning through the UK Youth Movement and cross sector
  • Using digital story-telling, share the positive impact of social action on young people and communities

  • Celebrate the achievements of young people at our annual UK Youth Awards
  • Recognise the progress and development of young people through the UK Youth Achievement Awards
  • Create opportunities for young people to share their stories and use our communication channels to amplify them, also ensuring the voices of young people are on amplified in press opportunities
  • Give young people a platform to share their story and experience in all of our events
  • Create opportunities for young people to ‘takeover’ our communication channels on a regular basis
  • Train and support young people to become ‘Young Reporters’ in our network to share their own stories and their peers

More from UK Youth championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Virgin Money Foundation

The Virgin Money Foundation is an #iwill Fund match funder, providing £1.7 million of match funding for youth social action projects across the North East through its #iwill Take Action Fund. Find out more about the #iwill Fund here.

Our commitments:

  • Prioritise funding for Young Change Makers in our forward looking strategy.
  • Launch the Youth Fellowships programme offering Fellowships to young people from low income backgrounds.

  • Continue to support our Young Board Attenders to develop and contribute to Board level discussions.
  • Continue to work with the Foundation Youth Advisors in Youth Social Action programme development.
  • Continue to involve the Youth Advisors in grant making decisions for upcoming Youth Social Action programmes.

  • Continue to support our Youth Advisors and Young Board Attenders to contribute in decision making meetings.
  • Youth Advisors to host events during the Young Change Makers Fellowship residential.
  • Our Chief Executive, Nancy Doyle-Hall, together with Laura Christer, one of our young Board members, will work together as members of the #iwill Fund Advisory Panel to ensure more young people are able to get involved in social action through well-targeted, collaborative funding.

  • Share impact and learning through the Foundation’s annual Impact Report.
  • Continue to share the learning from our evaluation into the Foundation’s #iwill Take Action Fund Youth Advisory Panel.
  • Commission an evaluation on the importance of place in youth social action.
  • Continue to use our social media platform to share stories.

  • Continue to support our Youth Advisors and Young Board Attenders to contribute in decision making meetings.
  • Youth Advisors to host events during the Young Change Makers Fellowship residential.

Nancy Doyle, Executive Director, Virgin Money Foundation

We are proud to be a founding signatory for the Power Of Youth Charter. We are convinced that when young people are given the platform and support to be leaders of positive social change, communities are strengthened and new solutions found. We have seen first-hand the benefit of having young people involved in our grant making and board discussions.

As a Foundation we are committed to supporting young people as changemakers of the present and the future and we encourage other organisations to consider signing up to the Power Of Youth Charter.

More from Virgin Money Foundation championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Volunteer Now

Volunteer Now is the lead organisation for promoting and supporting volunteering across Northern Ireland, and lead the #iwill campaign in Northern Ireland.

Our commitments:

We will create opportunities for young people to get involved in social action with Volunteer Now so that more young people have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

  • We will work with our two new Trustees to ensure a youth voice within our Board and to support our youth forum to shape our internal offer to young volunteers and to share the good practice with other youth involving organisations.

We will encourage organisations to involve young people in meaningful volunteering opportunities so that they can make a positive difference.

  • We will share our learning in our annual reports, programme evaluations and internally with our youth forum and Trustees.

  • We will celebrate young people’s positive impact through our social media channels, our website but also through encouraging and supporting recognition events.

More from Volunteer Now championing the #PowerOfYouth:

Young Manchester

Young Manchester is a charity that strives to improve opportunities for all children and young people across Manchester.

Our commitments:

  • Placing the voices and lived experiences of children and young people at our heart
  • Incorporating youth voice and social action into our organisational wide strategy
  • Embedding youth social action as a core approach of youth and play provision through our funding

  • Recruit young people to our board as trustees
  • Young Ambassadors are involved in grant making panels and co-design of new funds
  • Young Ambassadors sit on interview panels

  • Providing a clear partner offer and framework for collaboration that supports children and young people
  • Funding and supporting the work of strategic leads across the sector
  • Coordinating opportunities for training and capacity building

  • Gather evidence from partners on impact of youth social action on projects we fund
  • Incorporate evidence of impacts of youth social action into our annual reports

  • Create opportunities for social media takeovers
  • Use our platforms to celebrate young people across the city, through our own youth voice work and the social action/voice work of our partners

Justin Watson, Director, Young Manchester. 

“Young Manchester is delighted to be a founding signatory of the Power of Youth Charter, which underlines our continued commitment to working with young people to shape decisions, take social action and make a positive difference in their communities.

We recognise the value of social action, which is why we aim to embed it in youth and play work across Manchester to allow all children and young people to have access to high quality social action opportunities. We’re proud to work alongside so many dedicated colleagues and partners across Manchester who are committed to supporting young people to make decisions about their city and their futures.”

More from Young Manchester championing the #PowerOfYouth:

YouthLink Scotland

YouthLink Scotland champions the value of the youth work sector in Scotland, challenging government at national and local levels to invest in development. YouthLink also leads #IWill Scotland, and has launched a Scotland-specific version of the #PowerOfYouth Charter, which you can find out more about and sign up to here.

Our commitments:

  • As the national youth work agency we will continue to encourage and support the youth work sector in Scotland to champion the #PowerOfYouth by offering meaningful youth social action and volunteering opportunities to the young people they work with.
  • We will champion the importance and value of youth volunteering and social action through our national youth work outcomes framework; national programmes; workforce development; funding; policy; research; networks and in our communications.
  • We will strategically drive the #IWill movement forward in Scotland beyond 2020 through the Scottish #IWill Advisory board, Scotland’s #IWill Ambassadors and our National #IWill Development Officer post.

  • We will recruit young people to our board of trustees and recruit an #IWill ambassador to co-chair the Scottish #IWill Advisory group from 2021.
  • We will continue to involve Scotland’s young people in our decision-making for the future of youth work in Scotland for example, helping to shape the next National Youth Work Strategy; National Youth Work Awards, Participatory Budgeting and our Funding Assessment processes
  • The #IWill movement in Scotland will be built on the voices of #IWill Ambassadors and other young people as was our new five year strategic plan. Our values for #IWill include it being youth-led and young people will be at the core of our future activity and decision-making.
  • We will continue to play an active role in encouraging and championing youth voice and participation both within the youth work sector and beyond.

  • As a membership organisation we are committed to working with our youth work members across both the voluntary sector and local authorities in Scotland.
  • We will continue to connect youth work with other sectors and key stakeholders in Scotland through our vast range of networks and will seek partnership opportunities to grow opportunities for young people to volunteer and participate in social action.
  • We will continue to work collaboratively with young people and promote the benefits of doing so through our programmes, research and communications.

  • We will share impact and learning of the #IWill movement in Scotland annually through the Scottish Power of Youth Charter and Index.
  • We will promote Scotland’s National Youth Work Outcomes Framework as a method of measuring and demonstrating the impact of youth social action and volunteering.
  • We will work with the youth work sector and other partners to demonstrate the benefits of youth social action and volunteering and showcase this through our publications and communications.
  • We will work with partners to highlight research findings from national surveys e.g. Young People in Scotland Survey & Scottish Household Survey and work with university partners to commission research projects relevant to volunteering & social action.
  • We will continue to represent Scotland at UK wide data and research meetings as part of the #IWill Partnership and Collaboration.

  • We will continue to celebrate the difference that young people in Scotland are making through YouthLink Scotland and #IWill Scotland communication channels.
  • We will continue to demonstrate and advocate the benefits and values of youth work award programmes to both youth work members and wider sector organisations and signpost them to the Awards Network in Scotland.
  • We will continue to promote celebration events e.g. The Young Scot Awards through our membership and communications channels.
  • We will continue to seek opportunities to formally recognise young people and nominate for awards as appropriate.

Tim Frew, CEO YouthLink Scotland & Co-Chair Scottish #IWill Advisory Group.

Young people have an expectation and a right to express their voice, shape the future and make a difference through social action and volunteering. We stand alongside all young people to ensure that the PowerOfYouth Charter supports young people to lead meaningful change in their communities and in wider society.

We are proud to be a founding signatory of the Power of Youth Charter and pledge to continue to advocate for young people’s rights.

More from YouthLink Scotland championing the #PowerOfYouth through #IWill Scotland

Youth United Foundation

Youth United is a network of the nation’s leading Uniformed Youth organisations.

Our commitments:

  • We will focus on creating more youth social action opportunities through our funding programmes

  • We are recruiting a young trustee, and our youth panel will be involved in funding bids. The Youth Panel will help to develop the YUF strategy and influence the way we work

  • We will actively seek partnerships that benefit, support, and empower young people

  • We will report our progress annually through the Power of Youth Index and incorporate evidence into our annual reviews and evaluation reports

  • We will facilitate social media takeovers for our youth panel, feature blogs and vlogs from young people on our website and social media channels, and provide young people with opportunities to represent YUF and young people at relevant meetings, events and functions.

Wendy Human, Director of Projects, Youth United Foundation.

Youth United Foundation are proud to sign up to the Power of Youth Charter.  We know that by working together across uniformed youth organisations we can support many young people to take social action. We have already begun to review our youth panel structure to ensure more young people are involved in decision making. We will continue to actively seek partnerships which will benefit, support and empower young people across our network.

More from Youth United championing the #PowerOfYouth: