There is a kind of work that often goes unseen. The kind of work young people do when they sit with complexity, when they speak gently in difficult conversations, when they refuse to let conflict harden them. It is the work of listening, and listening well. 

For many who have taken part in the Bridge Builders Programme, this will feel familiar. The habit of sitting with difficult truths, of questioning without hostility, and of holding more than one perspective at once is something that quietly stays with us long after we leave the room.
 

I'm now on the Youth Advisory Group...

It is precisely this way of working that I have carried with me into my current role, having recently been appointed to the Youth Advisory Group for the government’s National Youth Strategy.

For the first time, young people are not simply being consulted but are directly shaping decisions through a process of co-production. The strategy is designed to guide youth policy, not only for the coming years but for the decade ahead and beyond.
 

...for the government's National Youth Strategy.

It will shape how the government responds to some of the most pressing challenges young people face today, including mental health, safety, education, belonging, online harms, and the cost of living.

Throughout this process, I have realised how deeply it relies on the kind of work many of us already practise. Listening carefully. Sitting with discomfort. Taking time to understand. These are not just helpful tools, but the foundation of meaningful change. And yet, they often remain invisible, precisely because they do not seek recognition.

The strategy is now at the heart of its co-production phase. This means young people are actively shaping it, not just commenting on it. There are various ways to contribute, including youth-led discussions, focus groups, and listening events taking place across the country. However, the most direct and immediate way is through the National Youth Survey, which is currently open.

"I find myself returning to the lessons I learned through Bridge Builders"

For many young people, the questions at hand are not abstract policy matters. They are the realities we face every day. In every meeting, I find myself returning to the lessons I learned through Bridge Builders. To listen first. To allow questions to remain difficult. To trust the complexity rather than rush past it. In fact, some of the most valuable contributions I have seen come from young people who already know how to work in this way. Those who are at ease with complexity. Those who take time to reflect, who recognise the difference between speaking and truly contributing.

I know many reading this will recognise themselves in this approach. Whether you encountered it through Bridge Builders, within your community, or in the quiet work you do each day, this way of engaging is already part of who you are. And now, it is needed more than ever.
 

Take part in the National Youth Survey:

So I encourage you, if you are able, to take part. Whether by completing the survey, joining an engagement session, or encouraging others to contribute, your voice has a place here. This is a chance to continue the kind of work many of you have already been doing. Only now, it is within a space where it can shape not only conversations but the decisions that will shape young people's lives for years to come.

You can fill in the survey here before April the 16th 2025.