We have launched our new internal Youth Voice and Leadership Strategy 2025-2028, setting out how we will strengthen opportunities for children and young people to influence decisions, shape services and take on leadership roles.
Listening to children and young people has always been central to our work. The strategy provides a clear, organisation-wide approach to participation and aims to ensure young people’s voices are embedded in decision-making across the charity.
The strategy is based on a simple belief: children and young people are experts in their own lives, and their experiences should help shape the support they receive.
As part of its development, we spoke to 29 young people aged 18-24 from projects across Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex, asking:
“If you were in charge, what would you prioritise in the next five years?”
Their feedback reinforced the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for children and young people to influence services, share their experiences and help shape the future of YMCA DownsLink Group.
Youth Voice and Leadership Strategy
The Youth Voice and Leadership Strategy 2025-2028 will also support one of the four goals in our forthcoming 2026-2031 organisational strategy: Voice. Over the next six years, we will continue to strengthen the ways children and young people can influence decisions, contribute their lived experience and help drive positive change.
The Youth Voice Strategy will act as a key delivery mechanism for achieving the longer-term Voice goal within the organisation’s wider 2026-2031 strategy.
