Youth Engagement

Youth Engagement is the core purpose of The Participation People and We believe it drives better decisions for your organisation.

two people working at a table covered in pens and coloured paper as part of their youth engagement training

Investing in Youth Engagement Training: Building Confidence, Consistency and Youth-Led Practice

At a Glance: Building a Stronger Foundation for Youth-Led Practice Youth Leads UK partnered with Participation People to strengthen youth engagement training across its staff team, building greater confidence in facilitation, professional boundaries, communication and impact measurement. Building on an existing relationship, Participation People designed and delivered a bespoke four-part Read more

By Em Priest, ago
a group of young people, our young content creators, walking alongside a canal, taking photos of nature with their phones

Young Content Creators for Nature: How Dorset Empowered Youth-Led Environmental Storytelling

At a Glance: Young Content Creators in Dorset Dorset Local Nature Partnership (DLNP) and Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) partnered with Participation People to deliver a young content creators programme, equipping young people aged 14–19 to produce engaging, youth-led environmental content. Over four months, participants explored themes including nature recovery, climate Read more

By Em Priest, ago
a photo of a young person on a laptop, helping to co-produce the sparkspace learning module

Co-creating Youth-Powered Services: How SparkSpace Builds a Legacy for Libraries with Young People

At a Glance: What is SparkSpace? SparkSpace is a bold, values-led learning programme co-created with children and young people. It helps library staff across the UK build confidence, capability, and consistency in youth-powered library services. Delivered by Participation People in partnership with Libraries Rising (formerly ASCEL), and funded by The Read more

By Em Priest, ago
a photo of a man smoking a cigarette

Powerful Peer-Led Campaigns: How Southwark Empowered & Engaged Young People on Substance Misuse

The Brief Southwark Council has partnered with Participation People to give young people the tools and knowledge to make healthier choices around alcohol, drugs, and smoking. Over several years, the collaboration has focused on improving young people’s health, reducing crime, and creating a safer, more supportive environment in the borough. Read more

By Em Priest, ago
Close-up of a child's eye highlighting innocence and trust in public consultation processes.

The Seven Sins of Consultation and Why Public Consultation is a Lie

Let’s be honest. Most consultation is theatre. We dress it up in good intentions, brightly coloured post-its, and feedback forms. But underneath, it’s control dressed as care. We sit young people in circles, give them pizza and pens, and call it empowerment. Then the strategy launches, the decision’s made, and Read more

By The Participation People - Youth Engagement & Consultation Specialists, ago
a group of women sat at a table working, discussing safeguarding participation

From Tokenism to Transformation: How Youth Voice Transformed Safeguarding Participation Across the North West

Executive Summary In 2024–2025, Participation People led a bold, values-led transformation across 24 Safeguarding Partnerships in the North West, the region with the highest number of care-experienced young people in England. Our mission? To embed the voices of babies, children, young people, parents, carers, and families into the heart of Read more

By Em Priest, ago