In September I left the British Youth Council after a year-long internship in the Fundraising Team. During my time, I worked across all the funding streams such as trusts and foundations, individual giving, and community and challenge events. I was so lucky in my role to have been able to gain such a wide range of experiences, not only in fundraising but also in youth voice and empowerment.
You can see the impact of the British Youth Council first hand when you meet the incredible young people it works with. I will never forget going to the UK Youth Parliament’s House of Commons Sitting and being blown away by the intellect, passion, and courage of the young people who spoke. I spent the whole time thinking that I would never have been able to talk so articulately and with such power in front of such a large group as a teenager! The Youth Voice programme is such a unique and special part of the British Youth Council.
Fundraising is central to the British Youth Council’s work, and one of my favourite duties in the intern role was getting to know our supporters individually, learning about the reasons they loved the British Youth Council and what made them give. It was also great to provide support for those who took part in challenge events for us, especially to watching them smash challenges whilst raising money for a great cause. We say it time and time again as fundraisers but it really is true – the support received from our donors and funders truly helps to make a difference. My own internship (funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation) demonstrated how fundraising can help to expand the capacity of charity and, in turn, increase its impact.
Another highlight came early on in my internship when I organised a drinks reception for supporters and alumni. It was brilliant to see so many people coming together to catch up, have a drink, and raise funds for the British Youth Council. We also had the opportunity to hear from Mita Desai, a former Chair of the trustee board. Mita has gone on to achieve great success and continues to fight for youth voice through the Young Trustees Movement. Stories such as Mita’s show the incredible impact of the British Youth Council and how it can have such an influence in shaping the lives of its beneficiaries.
Whilst I am sad to be moving on, I am so grateful for the experiences I had during my internship and for the insight it gave me into youth work – I must have enjoyed it because I’m now taking on a role in fundraising at another youth charity! If there was one thing I could ask of those reading this, it would be to please keep supporting the small charities that you love like the British Youth Council. Without your support they would not be able to empower young people to speak up, be heard and make real change.
Charities and youth organisations like the British Youth Council have been significantly impacted by Covid-19 as many physical fundraising events have come to a standstill. So I came up with a way of fundraising for the ones that matter to me and have shaped me into the person I am today.
I hosted The Big 12 Hour Livestream on Saturday 20th June 2020 with the hopes of being in front of a computer for twelve hours, live streaming on YouTube. The concept involved interviewing a number of guests whilst fundraising for the British Youth Council, Hampshire Youth Parliament, Andover Trees United, Unity and my own youth organisation DMK Worldwide. These beneficiaries mean so much to me. They have given me many opportunities to voice my own opinions and get involved within the community of Youth Voice and I only wish that I had found them sooner.
To say the least, the livestream was a challenge. I have done many livestreams before, but never for twelve hours straight, so I really wanted to make sure everything went smoothly, and for the most part it went very well. I interviewed a huge variety of guests, from the British Youth Council’s very own Chair, Amanda Chetwynd-Cowieson, to Members of Parliament such as Kit Malthouse, MP for North West Hampshire and Minister of State for Crime and Policing. The full livestream with all interviews can be found on Youtube. There were of course a few technical difficulties here and there but it was definitely an awesome learning experience. There could perhaps be another livestream coming in the future, for an even longer time.
It is so important during these challenging times to continue to support small charities like the British Youth Council, through fundraising initiatives and donations, and I would encourage anyone who is passionate about Youth Voice to do the same.
On Sunday 26th April, a number of our supporters took part in a nationwide initiative, the 2.6 Challenge, to raise funds for the British Youth Council. Following the outbreak of Coronavirus and its devastating impact on the charity sector, the organisers of the London Marathon decided to put together a campaign which could help individual charities, and the sector as a whole.
The campaign called on people across the UK to complete a challenge based around the figures 2.6 or 26 from their homes or in their local area. It was an opportunity for charities like us to make up the income that would have been lost due to cancelled fundraising events. People were able to sponsor those who took on challenges and also donate straight to the charity.
Our CEO Jo Hobbs climbed 26 floors of the stairs in her flat, raising an amazing £228, whilst our trustees ran a marathon between them to raise a further £653. We also received some significant gifts from a number of supporters, and altogether raised £2,001 with gift aid – a brilliant amount for a day of fundraising!
Joe Stockley, one of our trustees involved in the marathon run, said of his involvement in the challenge, “I wanted to get involved to help the British Youth Council with fundraising because I know first-hand how important the work the British Youth Council do every day is, for the young people they support and champion. Due to Coronavirus, it’s really hard for charities right now, and I wanted to do my bit as a trustee to support the organisation, so it can still be empowering young people in ten years time.”
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the 2.6 Challenge for us and also everyone who gave either through sponsorship or as a donation the initiative! Your support at this challenging time means more than ever and ensures we can continue to empower young people with online delivery of our services and programmes.
The outstanding support of our British Youth Council community during this time has been truly amazing and we really are so grateful – thank you!
If you wish to support the British Youth Council further please donate
On 14th November, the British Youth Council held a drinks reception for the Friends of the British Youth Council and many of our supporters. It was a fantastic evening which saw alumni, donors, staff, trustees, partners and friends come together and celebrate all that they have made possible by supporting the British Youth Council!
After some initial welcome drinks, our guests were welcomed by Deputy Chair of the British Youth Council, Kyle Parks, who spoke eloquently about what the charity has achieved over the past year, including youth forum work with both the Bank of England and the NHS, and follow up work on the Youth Select Committee work. He also stressed how incredible it was to see British Youth Council alumni from many different years all in one room “connecting or reconnecting with each other and keeping relationships within the British Youth Council community strong”. He set out the future plans for the charity commenting; “we are on a great path, maturing as a charity, as we aim to move up a gear in our fundraising and partnerships.”
Rounding up the welcome speech he went on to introduce Mita Desai, our keynote speaker for the evening. An unyielding advocate for youth voice, Mita has been fighting for young people to be heard continually throughout her career. She spoke about her experience as a trustee on the British Youth Council board and later as Chair, describing it as a fantastic learning experience which shaped her future career. Specifically, Mita now manages the Young Trustees Movement for the Social Change Agency, with aims of doubling the number of Young Trustees by 2024. This work was directly influenced by Mita’s time on the board, which inspired her to see the potential of young people and the immense benefit of including their voices in decision-making.
She ended her speech by reminding attendees of the importance of lifting young voices up and making sure they are heard. She encouraged everyone to continue to support the British Youth Council to ensure we can carry on our work and keep empowering young people to speak up and make a change. Small regular donations to the British Youth Council are one of the most beneficial ways to support the charity into the future we’d love you to set up a regular donation.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening so special, we hope to see you at future Friends of British Youth Council events!
If you missed this event but are interested in attending future events, please do make sure to sign up to the Friends of British Youth Council mailing list.
A massive thank you to all our donors for donating generously during our Big Give Christmas Campaign; your donations have been doubled and with gift aid we have raised a total of £4,220 and smashed the target!
This fantastic total means the British Youth Council can deliver the Youth Voice Leadership Development Programme, which will help young people to develop their leadership skills and increase their confidence to speak up on the issues they care about. In turn, young people are prepared to step up as leaders and create change locally, regionally and nationally. The programme also helps to fulfil our commitment to increasing the diversity of young people in leadership roles.
This was reflected by a beneficiary speaking of their time on the 2018/19 programme: “I now have the ability to publicly speak in a confident manner. It has opened so many more doors, I am now a confident leader.”
The Leadership Development Programme is just another demonstration of how the British Youth Council creates platforms and opportunities for young people to have their voices heard on the issues that are important to them. Through our various programmes, we develop young people’s confidence as well as their debating and leadership skills by giving them opportunities to voice and amplify their opinions. Your donations will enable us to support even more young people to become leaders of change!
On behalf of the British Youth Council Staff and Trustees, I want to say a heartfelt thank you for supporting the leaders of tomorrow.
Once again, this year the British Youth Council are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Between 12pm Tuesday 3rd December and 12pm Tuesday 10th December, all donations to the British Youth Council will be doubled by match funding!
So, if you give £25, we’ll receive £50, give £50, we’ll receive £100 and so on…
We are looking to raise £2,000 which will then be matched to give a grand total of £4,000!
We want as many supporters as possible to get involved in the campaign to ensure that we empower young leaders to make real change. Whether you support with a donation or simply by sharing our campaign within your networks, everything you do will make a difference. It means that young people can be empowered through our Leadership Development Programme to make their voices heard and create real change.
Read more about how the British Youth Council empowers young leaders on our campaign page and donate to make twice the impact.
A lot has happened at the British Youth Council this year. From reaching 1.1 million young people in Make Your Mark, the largest youth consultation in the country, to celebrating our 70th anniversary and using this as an opportunity to engage with new Alumni networks.
We also secured funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery to follow up on the outcomes of the Youth Select Committee for the first time – this allowed a work experience action group to be formed who are creating a toolkit for young people.
We’ve also continued to strengthen our youth forums with the NHS and the Bank of England, which have Youth Voice at their core. Finally, we are approaching a milestone as the UK Youth Parliament approaches its 20th anniversary! Your commitment and support has made it possible to deliver this for so many years.
None of this could be achieved without the incredible support of our donors and continued supporters – it was you who made it happen. Investing in the British Youth Council means investing in the lives of young people and creating a world where they are empowered to inform the decisions that affect their lives. So by supporting our cause you are making space for positive social change!
From the British Youth Council Team and all those who benefit from your support, a huge THANK YOU!
At the British Youth Council, we believe young people should have a say on issues that affect them. When young people take part in our programmes and events, they gain essential skills, confidence and knowledge on how they can be heard and create change. The British Youth Council has been successfully giving young people a platform to engage with decision-makers and have a say on issues that affect them for over 70 years. Your support today will ensure we are around into the next 70 years to continue to empower young people to be inspiring change makers.
A former youth representative said: “The British Youth Council has made me a better person on the whole. Hand on heart, it has changed my life. Before, I could not communicate with other people efficiently and did not know about the magnitude of the power of my voice and what other young people can do.
“I now have the ability to publicly speak in a confident manner, including speaking at the House of Commons. It has opened so many more doors, I am now a confident leader. I highly recommend more young people to take part in Youth Voice in the British Youth Council.”
A small regular donation to the British Youth Council of £10 per month would enable even more young people to take part in our programmes, develop their skills and become agents of change. By making a regular donation, you are making an investment into a future where young people are empowered to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives. Your support is essential in creating a world where young people take an active role in society. Thank you!
As part of Small Charities Week, we are celebrating the fantastic work of the British Youth Council made possible by our generous community of supporters, funders and partners. Thank you.
On Friday the 15th of February, I organised an own clothes day at my secondary school, Ysgol Bro Pedr. The day was a complete success, with pupils and staff alike revelling in the freedom of wearing their own clothes; and supporting a meaningful charity like the British Youth Council. This blog post is to promote this new stream of fundraising for the the British Youth Council, whilst debunking any myths or queries you may have about organising your own fundraising event.
Firstly, it is really, really, easy to organise. Simply ask your Head of Year and Headteacher about the possibility. In my case, they were both more than happy to help, and
Once the important people have agreed, you need to get the word out! Posters, leaflets and emails to registration teachers are the best way to make sure everyone is aware and ready for the big day. On the posters, make sure you say when and why, not forgetting the amount to donate. Personally, I decided to ask for £1 for every pupil taking part, less than the price of your morning coffee, a pound makes the day accessible to all – without breaking the bank!
Next up, you’ve got to let the parents know, a letter home will do and will make sure kids on the day don’t forget (my mum still always reminds me about these things!).
Now, you’re all set and can only look forward to the day. On the day, snap a few pictures of your friends posing awkwardly, this is great for your own school’s publicity on social media, as well as the British Youth Council’s. Ask registration teachers to collect the money during morning registration, then the real fun begins – counting! Fortunately, my school finance department helped me out and very generously counted it all for me. From there, the school banked
My school succeeded in raising £219 for the British Youth Council, which will now be ploughed back into vital youth services and campaigns across the UK.
My own clothes day was an absolute joy. It was so simple and quick to
If you would like to organise your own fundraising event, whether an own clothes day, sponsored walk or bake sale, please do get in touch with our Head of Fundraising, on victoria.ward@byc.org.uk or call us in the office on 0207 250 8374. We would be thrilled to hear from you.
Last week, all donations to the British Youth Council were doubled as we took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. We are utterly thrilled to report that because of the generous support of the British Youth Council community, we received over £4,800 in donations. Because of this wonderful support, young people across the UK like Curtis will continue to be able to find their voice and use it to create change. Thank you.
By supporting the British Youth Council, you are investing in a future where young people are empowered to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives. Your support is essential in creating a world where young people take an active role in society. Thank you!
Your support helps make all of our work with and for young people possible and from everyone in the British Youth Council team, THANK YOU.