We know that politics has a direct impact on our everyday lives by shaping the world we live in. Yet, it often feels like decisions that affect our lives are made without our input.
The status quo is not working for many young people who face several 'once in a generation' crises simultaneously. Staggering increases in the costs of housing and basic goods, the aftermath of a global pandemic and a decade of under-investment in support services have created the perfect storm for many young people as they navigate their journey into adulthood.
Young people consistently tell us they want to see change. And what's more, young people have the right to have a say in decisions that affect them. We must seize all opportunities to realise these rights, especially the upcoming General Election.
The next General Election will be called before January 2025. So what we do now is hugely significant. This is a crucial window of opportunity to campaign for change, boost democratic engagement and elevate the voices and agency of young people on the issues that matter to them.
Youth Access wants to ensure that the issues impacting young people's lives are on the agenda for the General Election and beyond. That is why we have developed a programme to elevate our collective policy asks and to encourage young people to speak out on the issues that matter to them.
What are we doing?
Campaigning for policy change
Alongside young people and member services, we are developing a collective manifesto that clearly sets out what the next Government must do to improve all young people's mental health and wellbeing. In collaboration with youth ambassadors at No5 Young People, we've developed a survey to enable young people to have their say.
We're also consulting with members on February 26th at our Election Manifesto Workshop. We encourage as many members to attend as possible - the more voices heard, the better!.
Voter registration
18-25 is the least likely age group to vote in general elections. Without the pressure to win their vote, people in power are less likely to make policies that appeal to young people. We want to change this by offering services and young people the resources they need to help inform young people of their rights and how to vote.
YIACS (Youth Information, Advice and Counselling Services) have an important role in upholding young people’s rights and supporting young people to have a voice in the decisions and issues that impact them.
Young people at YIACS may have a longer voter journey or face higher barriers to participation due to their physical or mental health, housing circumstances or having low levels of trust in the systems that may have let them down. YIACS build unique and trusted relationships with individual young people meaning they are well placed to explore and potentially overcome barriers to democratic engagement.
General elections can be an important entry point for conversations around power and democracy, and involvement in youth action for some young people. Many member organisations are already doing brilliant work in this space, such as No5 Young People.
YIACS are well placed to:
- inform young people of their rights, including the right to vote
- support young people with advice and support on how to register to vote (how to find a national insurance number, what to do if you don’t have a fixed address)
- prepare young people to have the information they need to get out to vote (how to claim a free ID that is recognised at the polls, find out where your nearest polling station is, how to request a postal vote)
But with opportunity comes challenge and we know that this can be a challenging subject to discuss. That's why we'll be working to support your work in this area in the coming months - starting with an Exploring Elections Workshop, to help build your confidence to navigate these topics non-partisanly.
We know you're incredibly busy, and a General Election may seem like a distant thought, but we hope you will join us on this journey, seize this enormous opportunity to empower young people and fight for youth advice and counselling services everywhere. Visit our Election Hub at www.youthaccess.org.uk/electionhub for all the latest updates and opportunities.
