On 6 June we will be joining with others to celebrate the power of young people for #PowerOfYouthDay22.

This is an annual celebration of the contributions children and young people make to society through their volunteering. This year it takes place during Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) offering a great opportunity to say THANK YOU to all young people who are working to make positive change in their communities and to:

Prioritise supporting youth to take social action

Offer leadership opportunities

Work together

Evidence the impact of youth social action

Recognise and celebrate young people

Thanks to the #iwill campaign for the power-ful thoughts.

To celebrate #PowerofYouthDay22, why not:

• Share a video on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.
• Post on your website.
• Make a pledge to sign up to the #iwill Power of Youth Charter available here.
• Nominate a young person to become an #iwill Ambassador.
• Pop along to one of our forthcoming events and find out all about the potential and power of young people (more on these below).
• Let us know what you are planning to do. We’d love to share your stories and celebrations across our social media Twitter: @CommFirstYorks and Facebook: @Comm1stYorks and offer our thanks for some of the amazing things young people do.

If you haven’t already caught up with the #iwill campaign it offers loads of information and resources showcasing how taking part in volunteering can empower and upskill young people; improving outcomes for communities and diversifying and sustaining organisations. Further details here.

Young Trustees movement also highlight just some of the benefits of involving young trustees for young people, boards and employers.

Research from 2017 certainly shows that organisations offering volunteering opportunities to young people, particularly those under 18, offers the potential for them to develop a habit for life, creating socially responsible and community focused generations of young people. You can read the report here.

If you’re interested in exploring further some of the practical considerations and benefits of involving young people as volunteers, why not come along to our next Volunteer Co-ordinators Meeting on 16 June 2022 (10:00am – 12:00pm). It is free to attend, there are further details and information on how to book here. We also have a guide for involving young volunteers available along with other resources on our website.

If you’re interested in finding our more about youth voice and representation you may like to come along to our next Young People Providers and Partners meeting where colleagues from voluntary and community groups, social enterprises (VCSEs) and partner organisations from across North Yorkshire. The next meeting will be on 7 July from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. Further details here.

The Centre for Youth Impact also continue to develop their project Maximising Young People’s Voice and Power which aims to generate insight into existing youth voice activity across the UK.

Whatever you are up to on #PowerOfYouthDay22 we hope you enjoy celebrating the power of youth, and don’t forget to share with us on Twitter and Facebook.