#iwill week – ‘Having someone who’s an advocate for you is such a valuable thing’

#iwill ambassador Gracie Chick is driven by an ambition to make change happen.

In Gracie’s case, it is to promote the recognition of a person’s humanity.

“Who we are as human beings often gets marginalised,” says the 20-year-old, from south Essex. “Things like our humanity, our social and emotional intelligence, our empathy and our connectedness to each other and our communities.

“When I was growing up, I could see that part of who I was, was such a big part of my family’s life. I was home-educated, so it was a big part of my education – understanding myself, my connection to the world around me, understanding what I was part of and therefore feeling a responsibility to make the world a better place.

“However, that isn’t really valued across the board. This is such a big important part of who we are and it needs to have value.”

It is this drive for change which led to Gracie becoming an #iwill ambassador in 2021.

“I got involved because my family always been instilled me that change-making is really important, how we’re all connected to each other as human beings and that if you’re part of something you have a responsibility to help make it a better place, whether that’s your community, your country, or the world as a whole.

“I was doing things by myself with my family trying to create change, then seeing #iwill, this whole community of young people also committed trying to make change in their own communities, I thought, ‘I want to be part of that’.

“It’s taken it from me being one young person on their own, to being part of something so much bigger than yourself, to that’s amazing.”

Gracie’s social activism led to her taking the stage at the recent Joined Up Summit, which brought more than 500 cross-sector professionals together in Birmingham, in a bid to unlock what works for young people and drive transformative change across sectors.

“I was speaking as part of the #iwill session,” she says. “It was amazing to be able to talk about being a young person with big ideas. When you go into a room with so many people who have such a common goal, it’s just so energising. You go away thinking it’s so important, you have to keep going, have that absolute commitment.”

Presenting at the Joined Up Summit is just one of the many opportunities Gracie has embraced since joined #iwill three years ago – and she is grateful for what it has given her.

Gracie says: “One of things I’ve gotten from #iwill has definitely been connectedness to other young people, which has been so, so valuable. I think some of my my closest friends really have come from people that I’ve met through #iwill in some capacity.

“It’s isolating to think that you’re just creating change in your own little corner of the world, but joining #iwill you realise there are young people all over the UK who care about similar things, which is incredible.

“It’s definitely given me a platform as well. I’ve done a lot of speaking through #iwill, which has been an incredible thing.

“It’s given me more of an understanding of the sector as a whole as well. Constantly engaging with people, you get an idea of how some of these systems work.

“I think it also gives you an opportunity to know, when I’m going into these spaces and trying to change things, I am not just going in completely oblivious, but I understand. I’ve spoken to people and I’ve got a bit more of experience in that space, which has been good.

“And also it’s having an ally in your corner,” she says, heaping praise on the #iwill team and Holly Notcutt, #iwill head of partnerships and impact, in particular. “Holly has been someone I know I can run things by or say, ‘what do you think about this’, or if I need to speak to a teacher, or researcher for example, she will put you in touch.

“And I think as a young person, having someone who’s an advocate for you is such a valuable thing.”

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 9,000 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. 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 and 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 lives, 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.