Leading youth charity gives young people a voice

Action4Youth, a charity that supports the learning and development of all young people, helping them to overcome challenges and discover new opportunities, is engaging its end-users to gather vital feedback and a better understanding of its members.

The Youth Board, which was established earlier this year, meets on a bimonthly basis to discuss Action4Youth’s wide range of programmes and activities. The meetings focus on how Action4Youth communicates with young people, the benefits of each course and any improvements that can be made to ensure the charity continues to make a difference.

The group is made up of young people who have taken part in one or more of Action4Youth’s programmes and who would like to play an active role in the future success of the organisation.

Action4Youth staff and guest speakers, including a recent visit from Buckinghamshire County Council’s Youth Voice, regularly attend meetings to listen to feedback from the group and pass on key comments and suggestions to the board of trustees.

Tom Shimony, Action4Youth National Citizen Service (NCS) Graduate and youth board member explains: “The youth board has been created to be a ‘user’s voice’ in the programmes that Action4Youth runs, from NCS to The Inspiration Programme and all other activities it provides. It enables the charity to get direct feedback, so that everything it does can be tailored and improved upon year on year.

“It’s been a fantastic experience so far. Through the board I, and a number of other members, assisted in interviewing potential leaders for the summer 2018 NCS waves. I am now also the chair of the BCC Youth Voice Executive Committee, thanks to my involvement on the Action4Youth board.”

Jenifer Cameron, CEO of Action4Youth says: “We are really excited by the number of young people that have shown an interest in becoming a member of our youth board. It is great to hear their experiences and to gain insight into what we’re doing and how well we’re doing it. We look forward to continuing the early successes we’ve seen from the group and to the future developments of the youth board.”