Youth organisations from across the UK and Ireland have joined forces better to understand children’s and young people’s views. Our initiative focuses on effectively capturing and amplifying their voices, ensuring their insights shape the policies that affect them.
By doing this, we strive to advocate for increased investment in youth services, ensuring that young people’s voices are not just heard but are central to decision-making. This approach underscores young people’s proactive role as active and influential members of society.
This partnership is a collective approach between YMCA Ireland, Boys & Girls Clubs NI, Youth Initiatives, Youth Action NI, Youth Work Alliance, National Youth Council of Ireland, Youth Link Scotland, Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services and Bytes.
Our platform is designed to embody the principles of the Lundy Participation Model, providing an inclusive approach to capturing the voices of children & young people in UK and Ireland.
The Voices for Impact platform provides a digital space for children and young people to share their views freely and openly. It’s a virtual environment where their voices can be heard without the constraints of physical meetings or traditional communication barriers.
We emphasise empowering children and young people to express themselves via these surveys. Our approach involves training staff across partner organisations in how the site can facilitate this expression.
This platform is also accessible to children and young people individually, not just as part of a youth group. This ensures that a wider and more inclusive range of voices is heard.
Every contributor’s voice is valued and listened to. The platform allows for an interactive review and assessment of opinions and discussions. These views are visible within various communities, council areas, and across the entirety of UK and Ireland. This feature ensures a broad and comprehensive understanding of the perspectives shared.
The impact of these voices is tangible. Partner organisations are committed to reflecting on the data gathered, both at local and regional levels, to influence policy decisions.
Regular updates will be published on the site, developed in collaboration with young people, to articulate and highlight key insights emerging from the data. This approach ensures that the voices of children and
young are not only heard but also have a meaningful and direct impact on policy-making and societal change.
Our website is a dedicated space, accessible to young people across UK and Ireland as well as those who are involved in youth work within the region.
We recognise the importance of every young person’s voice, regardless of their affiliation with any youth association. Through this platform, young people are given the opportunity to express their opinions and share their experiences.
For youth workers, this site offers a robust tool to enhance youth participation. The surveys and interactive features on the site serve as a foundation for fostering a more engaged and empowered youth community.
Youth workers can utilise this data to spark meaningful discussions among young people about the trends and insights revealed within their local council areas. This approach not only gives young people a voice but also an audience, promoting a culture of active engagement and motivating them to take action based on the insights derived from the data.
Children and Young People in UK and Ireland will have the opportunity to share their views in relation to these six themes that are derived from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations.
By capturing these insights, we are able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the priorities and concerns of young people in these vital areas. This approach allows us to tailor our efforts and resources more effectively to address the specific challenges and aspirations that the children and young in UK and Ireland face.
The Department of Education (DE) invests approximately £33-35m for youth work in Northern Ireland to support and encourage children and young people to mature and reach their potential as valued individuals and responsible citizens. The impact of capturing children and young people’s voices furthers this commitment in the following ways;
The use of our platform has significant benefits for club and project leaders. It offers them access to a wealth of data regarding children and young people needs, not just on a broad UK and Ireland scale, but also narrowed down to specific council areas and even individual clubs.
This targeted approach to data allows leaders to understand and articulate the views and needs of young people more accurately, which is invaluable for reporting, as well as funding applications. Regular updates will be published on the site, co-created with young people, to highlight and interpret the evolving trends and insights gleaned from the data.
The data collected becomes a robust and credible evidence base, essential for advocating for improved investment in youth services. Partner organisations can utilise this data to effect change, influencing policy decisions at both local and regional levels.
This approach not only elevates the voice of the youth but also ensures that their needs and opinions are at the forefront of policy-making and resource allocation, leading to more responsive and youth-focused services.
Our primary goal is to accurately identify and address the needs and inequalities faced by children, young people, and other vulnerable groups who may be currently underserved. By leveraging the insights gained from this data, we can better target areas requiring intervention and support, fostering a more equitable and supportive environment for youth groups.
The Voices for Impact platform serves as a dynamic hub, uniting youth organisations and individual young people from across the United Kingdom and Ireland in one easily accessible online space.
Users can browse through a variety of surveys, each designed to capture the unique perspectives and experiences of young people. We actively encourage children and young people to engage with these surveys, sharing their views and experiences to paint a comprehensive picture of what it means to be a young person in UK and Ireland.
