Young people have the passion, power and energy to spark social change, but too often the voices of young people with experience of homelessness are missing from the picture. Our group of Advantaged Thinking Influencers is here to change that and to make sure their stories and experiences are counted when big decisions are made.
The group is made up of 11 young people from seven services – Enfield Foyer, YMCA Downslink Group, Ryde Foyer, Sapphire Community Group, Verve Place, Coops and YMCA Derbyshire. Over the next six months, we’ll meet regularly and develop skills needed for making change happen, including leadership, community organising and campaigning.
During our first meeting on Wednesday, we heard inspiring personal stories and young people talking passionately about the kind of change they want to affect. This powerful conversation included topics like how violence and gangs affect young people, the need for improved mental health advocacy and services, and giving a voice to young people with experience of the care system.
In time, we will invite young people from this group to work more closely with the Foyer Federation in areas such as programme design, comms takeovers and event planning, with some even becoming Trustees on our board.
We have 20 spaces altogether, so any young people from the Foyer network with a passion for social change are encouraged to apply to join at any time.