Get Involved
Speaking out on issues affecting the lives of children and young people can be the most exhilarating, interesting and at times frustrating experience. Children and young people may need to battle against others' perceptions of them as a young person, improve your communication skills and commit their time to make it happen. However, it can all be worth it when they are listened to, and can see real change happen because they stood up and spoke out.
Tools
Act By Right from National Youth Agency is an accredited skills workbook designed to develop young people’s knowledge and skills to take effective action and make change happen.Unit 4 of this workbook helps to develop campaigning skills.
YouthBank UK supports groups of young people to become grantmakers to other young people. A network of local Youth Banks are supported by a national training and support programme.
True Tube is an interactive debating website, a place for people to use media and text to speak out in favour of or against something which they feel strongly about.
Do-it is a national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.
Battlefront is an online campaign website fore young people aged 14-21. Handbook battlefront is a web-based campaigner’s handbook that guides you through the campaigning trail. Includes links for each stage of the process
Yoosk is a website for asking imporant questions to imporant people in the news like MPs, Goverment Ministers and other public figures.
British Youth Council has produced a series of guides to provide information on different aspects of lobbying and campaigning. Find them at BYC website and go to the Training materials section for guides on developing relationships with key people.
Get ready for change – Be a children’s rights champion. This CRAE publication includes a series of activities children and young people can use with their peers to lead sessions on campaigning.
How to support children and young people's campaigning
This guide will help practitioners support children and young people to design, deliver and evaluate campaigns that bring about change.
This is part of a series of How to guides.
Find out more
The Making Change Happen section of Taking Part in Making Decision: Training for 8-12- year olds. It includes skills and knowledge for taking effective action, the change process, consultation methods, and ideas for prioritising action and methods for getting their messages across.
Participation and advocacy: Advocacy Matters: Helping Children Change Their World These guides represent the collective wealth and experience in advocacy, communication and capacity building from within six of our Alliance members, as well as the wisdom and knowledge of outside experts.
The Every Disabled Child Matters website has a page with support and information for young people who want to get involved in campaigning.
