Suffolk County Council Signs the Power of Youth Charter – A Commitment to Empowering the Next Generation To Shape Their Future

The Power of Youth Charter led by the #iWill Movement outlines a bold vision: that all children and young people should be empowered to make a positive difference on the issues that affect their lives. By signing the Charter, Suffolk County Council is making a public commitment to putting young people at the heart of its decision-making, championing youth voice, and working collaboratively to support youth social action.

The #iWill Movement is a collaboration of over 1,000 organisations and 700 young #iWill Ambassadors & Champions from across the UK, supported by charities UK Youth and Volunteering Matters. The movement brings together organisations and individuals to empower more young people to take part in social action—making a positive difference in their communities and wider society. By championing youth voice and participation, the movement aims to ensure all young people, regardless of background, are supported to lead change.

At a meeting of Suffolk’s Youth Parliament, Cllr Bobby Bennett, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services signed the Charter, alongside Cllr Liz Harsant, Chairman of Suffolk County Council and Cllr Nathan Wilson, on behalf of Suffolk County Council.

Cllr Bennett continues: “By signing the Power of Youth Charter, Suffolk County Council is making a commitment to our young people, to create more opportunities for their voices to be heard, to shape their own futures and ultimately to ensure that we are making decisions with our young people, not for them.”

Suffolk’s Youth Parliament is run by young people for young people aged between 11-18 years old, to represent the views of young people at a local and national level. Also signing the Charter at today’s meeting were Kayleb Wright, Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney and Hermione Cartwright, MYP for Mid Suffolk.

In a joint statement, they said: “We are delighted to be involved in this movement, as youth representatives. We believe that this could move the future of youth voice and empower young people in making decisions that affect their futures.”

By signing the Charter, Suffolk County Council will work alongside over 350 other organisations already part of the #iWill Movement, committing to growing the Power of Youth.

Stephen Skeet, Director of Business Development and Partnerships for the #iWill Movement, said:

“We are delighted that Suffolk County Council have signed the Power of Youth Charter, recognising the vital role young people play in leading positive change. This commitment marks a significant step in empowering more young people across the county to shape their future and their communities.

“In 2023, Ipswich became the UK’s first Town of Youth Social Action — a milestone achieved in partnership with the #iWill Movement and Volunteering Matters. With Suffolk County Council’s strategic backing, we’re excited to build on this momentum and work towards establishing the UK’s first County of Youth Social Action, where young people’s voices and leadership are central to civic life.”

The Charter focuses on five key commitments:

1. Prioritising social action: Creating opportunities for young people to lead positive change, especially those from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds.
2. Opening up decision-making: Offer opportunities which ensure young people have influence over the decisions that affect them.
3. Working with other organisations: collaborating with other organisations to reach more young people and strengthen opportunities.
4. Evidencing the impact of youth social action: Sharing stories, data and learning to show the positive impact this has on young people, their communities and our organisation.
5. Recognise and celebrate young people: We will use our communication channels to advocate for and celebrate young people as positive and powerful changemakers

To learn more about the Power of Youth Charter and how your organisation can get involved, visit www.iwill.org.uk