Youth voices take the stage at new Government’s first party conference

The new Government held their first party conference since coming into power this week – with a trio of UK Youth staff members in attendance.

Kayleigh Wainwright, UK Youth director of youth sector innovation, Kerry Reid, director of strategic communications and income generation, and Kate Roberts, policy and influencing manager, headed to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to advocate for youth work and the issues affecting young people on the national stage.

With a huge raft of new MPs, there was a clear feeling of a lot of work to do to help make the changes that young people want to see, writes Kate.

We were very lucky to be joined on Monday by #iwill ambassadors from Blackpool, Evie, Ella-Lucy and Chloe, three amazing young women who took the time to meet MPs, ministers and decision-makers about the issues they care about.

It was standing room-only in the youth zone for our panel discussion on Young Futures, featuring Helen Hayes, chair of the Education Select Committee, Institute for Government programme director Nick Davies, Anne Longfield, chair of the Commission on Young Lives, and youth minister Stephanie Peacock, as well as Chloe, Ella-Lucy and Kayleigh – Evie did an amazing job chairing the panel and leading the discussion.

It was really good to hear the Government’s ambitions for this programme and to think in depth about what we need to see happen to make it a success. Front and centre of this conversation was the need for the voices of young people and youth organisations to be involved in the design of the programme and its services.

The ministers spoke about the need to reset the relationship with civil society and it was clear discussions were taking place across the conference venue to this effect.

Speeches from the main stage touched on the need to break down barriers to opportunities for young people, yet there is more to say about exactly how the new Government will achieve this mission, and the role of youth work and the youth sector in supporting this aim.

The youth sector were out in full force in the youth zone, making the case for youth work as a solution to the challenges our country is facing. The need for young people to be involved in the co-design of services was clear, and we are looking forward to working with the Government to deliver this.

Alongside our panel event, and connecting with sector experts and local councillors, we also met with MPs including early education minister Stephen Morgan, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson, Chris Bloore, Bambos Charalambous and Chris Webb.

We shared about the work of UK Youth, what matters most to Evie, Ella-Lucy and Chloe and what we need to see from the new Government. Evie, Ella and Chloe shared what they felt were the biggest issues facing young people – everything from mental health and wellbeing to the risk of violence and knife crime.

We are really grateful to all of the MPs who met with us, the attendees of our panel event and everyone who has advocated for young people to be heard.

This year, UK Youth has also attended the Liberal Democrats Party conference and will be attending the Conservative party conference later this month. Our experience will be shared here.

UK Youth would like to see the Government prioritise youth work as a solution to the challenges facing young people. We are talking to MPs, ministers and shadow ministers about:   

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 8,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch, a youth employability programme run in partnership with KFC. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes

#iwill is a movement comprised of more than 1,000 organisations and 700 young #iwill Ambassadors & Champions from across the UK. They are united by a shared belief that all children and young people should be supported and empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their livers, their communities, and broader society.

#iwill is empowering, challenging, independent, collaborative and inclusive – it belongs to everybody.

The #iwill movement is powered by young people and organisations. The #iwill Ambassadors and #iwill Champions, alongside organisations who sign up to the Power of Youth Charter, help ensure meaningful action is taken to support more children and young people to be active citizens.

The #iwill Partnership is made up of leaders of collective action groups working within and across sectors and nations of the UK to guide the #iwill movement. The independent #iwill Coordination Hub, hosted by Volunteering Matters and UK Youth supports the #iwill Partnership, #iwill Ambassadors and broader #iwill movement.