The Diana Award recently launched our first Youth Insights Report, focused on Youth Voice in Politics. To ensure youth involvement from the ground up, we involved Peer Researchers throughout the process to help connect us with the stories and experiences of young people. Follow Peer Researchers Gracie and Arthur, as they journey towards improving levels of youth engagement in politics and discuss the power of young people as facilitators, analysts, and champions for change.
The Youth Voice in Politics report reaches beyond the normal confines of the relationship between politics and young people. Traditionally, we focus on young people as outside observers, trying to understand the operations and decisions within the walls of Westminster. However, The Diana Award stands by the idea that young people have the power to change the world. The Youth Voice in Politics report captures young people’s experiences of engaging (or not engaging) with the political process, formulating calls to action that will further empower young people to have their voices heard.
When delving into a research topic that includes “youth voice” in its title, it can only reach its full potential when young people’s voices are embedded within the design, data collection, and analysis.
One of The Diana Award’s strengths is to identify where there is potential for greater input or representation, and to use the young people they work with to bridge that gap. Through involving peer researchers, the scope of the research increased, and we were able to provide the opportunity for more young people to have their views heard.
Beginning as a small project to investigate the levels of youth voice in politics across the UK, we were selected as peer researchers to help deepen The Diana Award’s understanding of youth voice in politics. In doing so, we asked young people such as peers, students and youth social activists to participate in a virtual focus group, which contributed to the findings of our Youth Insights report and ultimately the Youth Voice in Politics Launch Event.
“We started our peer research as young people with very little research experience, I was initially anxious about the outcomes of my research. However, I finished this experience as a confident peer researcher that was able to sophisticatedly outline key findings at a Youth Voice in Politics Launch Event.”
The experience of conducting research involved finding a sample of young people within their personal networks to invite for a virtual focus group. They worked collaboratively as peer researchers to organise focus groups and structure them in a way that ensured they optimised the impact of the session. Alongside The Diana Award staff the peer researchers compiled a list of questions that would be beneficial to ask about the state of politics for young people.
“This opportunity enhanced the foundations of our research skills and allowed us to apply these skills across the various stages of compiling a report. When carrying out my focus group I was amazed by the incredibly diverse array of perspectives and points that were highlighted in the session.”
On Thursday 18th July we attended the Youth Voice in Politics Launch Event, bringing together representatives from different sectors together to hear about the research findings, learn from lived-experience experts, and connect with one another.
The launch event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the research and a great networking opportunity for young people and professionals to discuss their thoughts on youth voice in politics. As peer researchers they presented their Call to Action Points in front of professionals and politicians. Gracie claims “it was an amazing chance to develop my public speaking skills, whilst also projecting the voices and opinions of young people.” The event was particularly memorable as the peer researchers were able to also help to facilitate the media content on the day. This involved interviewing professionals on their thoughts regarding youth voice in politics. As a result, they captured incredible content that can further help to encourage youth involvement in politics.
“Ultimately, the opportunity to engage as a Peer Researcher was an unforgettable experience that has shaped my passion for research. This unique opportunity allowed for collaborative leadership between the young advisor team and, balanced with independence, we were able to direct our research in a way that best suited our interests.”
SIGN UP TO READ THE DIANA AWARD'S YOUTH VOICE IN POLITICS REPORT HERE
International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.
International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.
The Young Changemakers Programme is a collaboration between UK Youth, Centre for Mental Health, and The Diana Award, funded by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. In June, our Co-Producers came together for a residential at Avon Tyrell to reimagine mental health services with the aim to better understand what young people from Black and Black mixed-race heritage in the UK think is working in our current mental health system, what needs to change, and how these changes should be implemented. This blog explores the challenges faced by young people of Black and Black mixed-race heritage in the UK regarding mental health services and highlights the need for cultural competence, accessibility, and representation in mental health support.
