{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Ryan and Freya, Scouts Youth Advocates","standfirst":"","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EOur Scouts Youth Advocates are doing fantastic things. They\u2019re making sure young people\u2019s voices are heard, advocating for positive policy changes, and putting Scouts at the forefront of change-makers\u2019 minds.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe caught up with Ryan and Freya, who tell us what it\u2019s like to be Scouts Youth Advocates.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHi, Ryan and Freya. Who are the Scouts Youth Advocates, and what do you do in your role?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScouts Youth Advocates are a dynamic team of 10 individuals, all aged under 25. We\u2019re actively engaged with decision makers at the national level to drive positive policy changes. Through meetings with MPs, conferences and discussions with various organisations, we aim to create a better world for young people.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis exciting role in Scouts focuses on creating a unified youth voice, which passionately represents the crucial role Scouts plays in our lives and those of our peers. In our efforts to advocate for change, we bring personal anecdotes and lived experiences to meetings and events, giving life to the policies we support.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Youth Advocates, because of our experience and training opportunities, we\u2019ve developed valuable skills, such as public speaking, self-confidence, and building professional relationships.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/bfjplh5y/joseph-bella-with-the-childrens-commissioner.jpg","width":2048,"height":1792,"altText":"Scouts Youth Advocates Joseph and Bella are stood either side of Children\u0027s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza. Ryan is stood on the left wearing a suit and Scouts necker with his hands behind his back, and Freya is wearing a Scouts necker and red dress. All three are smiling at the camera and there\u0027s a National Youth Agency poster in blue behind them.","caption":" Joseph and Bella meeting Children\u0027s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza.","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat have you experienced and enjoyed in your role so far?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first few months as a team, we\u2019ve:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAttended a loneliness Roundtable with Stuart Andrew. He\u2019s the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage, and Civil Society.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ERepresented Scouts at all major political Party Conferences.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBeen to Roundtable with the Prince\u2019s Trust and a drop-in session with Girlguiding.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMet with MPs in Parliament and inviting them to a Scouts group in their constituency.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBeen involved in consultation and youth-shaping the Scouts Manifesto.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EParticipated in the British Youth Council\u0027s Annual General Meeting.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"My role as a Youth Advocate has helped my confidence flourish. I\u2019ve received training in public speaking skills, as well as the opportunity to put this into practice by attending events, such as Roundtable discussions. I look forward to keep growing in the role and advocating on issues important to young people.","attribution":"Beth","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"I\u2019ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a Youth Advocate so far. It\u2019s been a great opportunity to meet with MPs, have an influence on the Scouts manifesto and just be part of such a great team.","attribution":"Dan","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"Being a Youth Advocate has enabled me to stand up and shout about how amazing Scouts are. I\u0027ve worked and volunteered with young people for my entire adult life and, as a Youth Advocate, I\u0027m trying to get young people the support and recognition they need to flourish into active, thoughtful citizens. Meeting with MPs and youth sector champions has been a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the power our young people hold for the future.","attribution":"Ben","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"quoteText":"It\u2019s been great to represent young people\u2019s voices with politicians. One highlight was when the Liberal Democrat\u2019s changed their policy to have a dedicated youth minister, which came just a week after I discussed it with some of their MPs.","attribution":"Joseph","gridType":"quote","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/u44llxmt/dan-with-sea-cadets.jpg","width":1791,"height":1527,"altText":"Three Sea Cadets are stood with their backs to the camera wearing navy clothes. They are speaking to Dan, a Scouts Youth Advocate, who is facing the camera and wearing a Scouts necker and navy polo shirt. To the left. is a poster that says \u0027Youth zone\u0027.","caption":"Dan shares his role as a Youth Advocate with Sea Cadets.","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat\u2019s your goal?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur goal is to place both Scouts and our ambitions at the forefront of change-makers\u2019 minds, establishing active and consistent relationships for a more connected and longer term impact. Engaging in conversations with politicians and the wider public often reveals fond memories of people\u2019s time in Scouts, helping to strengthen our mission.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMotivated to offer more young people lasting adventurous memories, we collaborate with other youth sector organisations, such as \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGirlguiding\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.sja.org.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESt Johns Ambulance\u003C/a\u003E, and \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.ukyouth.org/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUK Youth\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy participating in research, such as the\u00A0\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.ukyouth.org/resources/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUK Youth Outdoor Learning Policy Report\u003C/a\u003E and supporting the work of \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/girls-making-change/girls-attitudes-survey/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGirlguiding\u0027s Girls Attitude survey\u003C/a\u003E, we reinforce the importance of our collective efforts.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/r5zjuhjj/scouts-youth-advocates-with-stuart-andrew.jpg","width":2048,"height":1152,"altText":"Scouts Youth Advocates Dan, Ryan and Izzie are stood with Stuart Andrews, who\u2019s the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage, and Civil Society. Dan is on the left, next to Ryan, then Stuart Andrews and Izzie. The Youth Advocates are all wearing red white and navy Scouts neckers. They\u0027re stood in front of a white wall and they\u0027re all smiling at the camera.","caption":"Dan, Ryan, and Izzie meeting Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, who\u2019s the\u00A0Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage, and Civil Society.","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat are you up to at the moment?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the largest uniformed youth movement in the country, our team of volunteer UK Youth Advocates aims to lead the sector in identifying shared policy asks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough a shared ambition, we seek to amplify our voice \u2013 making it clearer, larger, and louder. As we anticipate a long-awaited general election, our team is working on a manifesto to unify the campaigning voices of UK Scouts and other youth sector organisations.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur role as advocates involves identifying current sector challenges and suggesting policies to address them. Our diverse voices and opinions, representing different corners of the UK, provide valuable insights into local issues.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe manifesto, still to be surveyed among our National Youth Commissioner Network, will be carefully crafted to strengthen our demands from those in power. We\u2019re committed to creating a clear, impactful document that resonates with the needs of our community.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/omiimx3d/youth-advocates-ben-and-freya.jpg","width":1170,"height":856,"altText":"Scouts Youth Advocates, Ben and Freya, are sat on beige seats next to each other. Ben is to the right and looks like he is talking. Freya is on the left with her hands placed on her crossed legs, looking at and listening to Ben. They\u0027re both dressed in smart clothes and wearing navy, red and white neckers. They\u0027re sat in front of a black wall.","caption":"Ben and Freya discussing Scouts in a meeting with an MP.","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat do you look forward to in the future?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan: \u003C/strong\u003EI reflect on my time so far as a Scouts Youth Advocate as months of excitement and rising to the challenges of understanding more about the youth sector, as well as how it\u2019s affected by government policies. In the future, together, we\u2019ll keep carving out the Scouts Youth Advocate role and understand how we can best represent, advocate and campaign as a unified body of passionate Scouts.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFreya:\u003C/strong\u003E I look forward to new opportunities to engage with MPs and really trying to push forward active change in areas that\u2019ll make a difference. The most exciting experience for me so far is being able to shape our Scouts manifesto and make sure young people\u2019s voices are heard on a national level. This opportunity has allowed us to work together and consider what can make the biggest difference for our volunteers and our young people, as well as how to get that message to those who can make the difference. If you want to get started in youth advocacy, my advice would be to believe in yourself. If you\u2019re truly passionate about your topic, talk to decision makers with confidence and they\u2019ll take you seriously. You deserve to take up space in these conversations and make young people\u0027s voices heard!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThank you to our Scouts Youth Advocates, Ryan and Freya, for co-writing this blog.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#002f6c","title":"","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"13 December 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":78134,"nodeName":"Meet our Scouts Youth Advocates","title":"Meet our Scouts Youth Advocates","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/r5zjuhjj/scouts-youth-advocates-with-stuart-andrew.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1da2da8c7ade930","caption":"Scouts Youth Advocates With Stuart Andrew","type":"jpg","size":185512,"width":2048,"height":1152,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Meet our Scouts Youth Advocates","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We chat to two Scouts Youth Advocates, Ryan and Freya, to find out about their roles and what they\u2019ve been up to.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83ODEzNCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/december/meet-our-scouts-youth-advocates/"}