Youth Voice Groups

Youth Voice Groups

The Youth Voice Groups were formed to get young people involved in government decision making. There are three main purposes to Youth Voice Groups project: advocacy, youth engagement, and accessibility. The Groups, which are funded by the Department of Digital Culture, Media, and Sport, maintain an inclusive and representative membership, with young people coming from different backgrounds and experiences.

As part of this project, the Youth Steering Group and Young Inspectors worked with the government on key projects.

The Youth Steering Group

The Youth Steering Group was set up to enable young people to have a say in policymaking. The Group had many opportunities to evaluate and scrutinise the measures taken by the government.

Recruitment

The Youth Voice Group is a programme the British Youth Council started last year with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The goal of this programme is to make sure young people from England both have their views heard on issues at Westminster and that they play a key role in the delivery of this. We are recruiting for 19 new members to the Youth Steering Group.

Taking your voice to the heart of government.

You could be influencing the decisions of this government.

Involved is a tool run by young people which uses the polling function of ‘stories’ feature to temperature check young people’s opinions on hot topics inside government and promote live consultations on the gov.uk website.

Climate Change Report

The Youth Steering Group worked with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy review their plan to improve environmental protection.

Young Inspectors

The Young Inspectors programme is to ensure that young people can directly improve local services and support the communities in which they live. Comprising small teams of young people from a range of life experiences, they give their views on how specific services (from transport, health clinics, and libraries to career advice and youth centres) are working in their area.

News & Blog

News stories and blogs about the Youth Voice Groups

Partners

Reflecting on the project

2019
February 2019

Youth Voice Groups launched. Initial residential and Hackathon saw the first developments of digital campaign, Involved.

March 2019

 

Preliminary design work of Involved is underway.

April 2019

Expert co-creation held at Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport with The Mix and Civil Society Group Members. This informed both engagement and development.

May 2019

 

Second Residential and Hackathon, and the development of Involved continues. The first contact with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made. The recruitment of the Young Inspectors. Young Inspectors Conference held in York.

June 2019

The Youth Charter Roundtable.

July 2019

Training residential for the Young Inspectors. Meeting with the Digital minister and Youth Parliament. Discussions with Civil Servants from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport who offered guidance.

August 2019

The Young Inspectors begin inspections, meeting with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, Co-op and organisations in receipt of project funding. Members of the Civil Society and Policy Group host an event in Leeds on the environment to consult on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’s strategy.

September 2019

 

Young Inspectors continue to inspect organisations in receipt of funding.

October 2019

Young Inspectors meet to evaluate progress and identify learning.

November 2019

 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs subgroup meets ministers from Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The subgroup liaise with Civil Servants on current and future youth engagement proposals. All groups come together to discuss further plans after the announcement of the UK government’s £500m ‘Youth Investment Fund’. Planning of Involved launch begins.

January 2020

Members of the Civil Society and Policy group pilot consultation on the £500m Fund with young people

February 2020

 

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 500M consultation held with representatives from listed groups. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s £500M Fund consultation held with representatives from listed groups. Final evaluation and celebration with Young Inspectors. Third residential with all groups represented. Final planning for the launch of Involved. Promotional footage for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recorded. Involved scheduled to launch shortly.

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