Youth Advisory Board Alumni

Our 2023-25 Cohort

During this time Youth Advisory Board members were involved in even more activities with UNICEF UK. From writing the opening introduction for our Annual Report and influencing our strategic decision-making to speaking at a Group of Friends Meeting, and Soccer Aid, the group have had a huge influence. Here are some of the key highlights from Dev, Finn, Jonathan, Macey Kaius, Ruby, Shafa and Tiana:

• Meeting with the Children’s Minister David Johnston MP to discuss their priority concerns for children in the UK, reflecting on the UNCRC Concluding Observations
• Interviewing applicants for senior roles at UNICEF UK
• Meeting supporters to help them understand the importance of UNICEF’s work, including UNICEF UK High Profile Supporter Arlo Parks and Soccer Aid player Sam Thompson
• Working closely with colleagues to respond to Party Manifestos during the UK General Election
• Speaking at a UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health event with Spotify to spotlight how we can better support young people’s mental health around the world
• Speaking at the Summer Garden Party about the difference Young Change Makers are creating
• Judging the mascot uniform design competition and facilitating activities for children taking on the ‘mascot’ role at Soccer Aid for UNICEF

Our 2021-2023 Cohort

Youth Advisory Board members were involved in a significant number of activities with UNICEF UK. From contributing to our new organisational strategy to speaking at in–person events and meetings, and being part of colleague recruitment and selection processes, the group have had a huge influence:

• Meeting with the Children’s Ministers Will Quince MP and Claire Coutinho MP
• Blog writing on UNICEF’s Voices of Youth platform
• Discussing priorities to collaborate on with our Scottish Advisory Board
• Taking over from our Executive Team on World Children’s Day: making recommendations for how the organisation tackles key priorities in 2023 and even undertaking activities in their own communities to raise awareness of UNICEF’s work and children’s rights
• Contributing to our report for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and sharing their views about children’s rights in the UK with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in Geneva, as part of the UNCRC Periodic Review Process
• Blog writing and content creation for World Environment Day
• Interviewing players and performing original spoken word on match day for Soccer Aid
• Speaking at and facilitating activities for guests at the Summer Garden Party
• Speaking on a panel about the climate crisis at the London E-Prix

Our 2019-2021 Cohort

The  first Youth Advisory Board (YAB) group started meeting in May 2019 and have undertaken a huge amount of work since then. Here are some of Ciaran, Eddie, Isabelle, Magali, Maham, Michael, Niamh and Saema’s higlights:

Ahead of the General Election, on World Children’s Day the group spent the day contacting the main Party Leaders asking them if elected, to protect and promote children’s rights including their right to a safe and clean environment, and the best possible health.

In 2020 life changed for everyone and the YAB moved everything online and worked hard to ensure children and young people’s voices were at the heart of UNICEF UK’s work during the pandemic. They wrote an open letter to the UK Government here, and shared their personal experiences on Voices of Youth. On World Children’s Day they worked with their peers at UNICEF Australia to launch a climate unity collaboration and undertook a number of media activities.

In 2021 the group were undeterred by ongoing lockdowns and continued to make sure their voices on children’s rights were heard, including through:

• A global consultation that identified the biggest child rights issues, which informed UNICEF’s five year strategy.
• The recruitment and selection of both UNICEF UK’s new Youth Campaigns Officer and the incoming Executive Director.
• Co-creating the recruitment, selection and onboarding process for the 2021-2023 UNICEF UK Youth Advisory Board.
• An Intergenerational Conversation on Climate Change with Mary Robinson.
• A meeting with Helen Grant MP, the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Girls’ Education
• An open letter to World Leaders ahead of the COP26 Summit before taking part in many activities including media interviews, a UNICEF press conference and side event.