The #iWill Movement

📍 5-Year Strategy & Sisterhood 🌊✨ On Monday last week, we brought together over 50 young women to review our 5-year strategy — and they did not hold back. From challenging Blackpool’s negative press to spotlighting what truly matters to them, it was a night of honesty, creativity, and connection. 🍕🎥🎨 We explored data, shared feedback via Slido (data from Plan International Plan International UK study), and watched Pier to Peer: A Seaside Sisterhood, a powerful documentary created by UYA’s young women, for young women. The evening wrapped with Paint & Pledges, where participants made promises to turn ideas into action, creating a beautiful artwork to commemorate. Thank you to all those who attended and lended their voices to the feedback Watch this space for updates to our strategy and future opportunities to have your voice heard. Hack in collaboration with The #iWill Movement Holly Gibson Deborah Terras (she/her) Robyn Peatfield #Thisisyouthwork #YouthVoice #youthempowerment #youthempowered #youthempowerment #YoungWomenLead #vawg #youngwomens #youngwomen #youthworkchangeslives #piertopeer #uya #unitedyouthalliance #youthactivism #youthaction #iwill

To mark the exciting return of the #iWill Fund today, I had the privilege of joining Henry VV Hughes DLY and being among the first guests on the Voices In Action Podcast, hosted by The National Lottery Community Fund and Be the change. Media Network (Lily Mott). As Co-Chairs of the The #iWill Movement#iWill Movement, we reflected on what youth social action truly means and why it matters. 🎙️ Some of the questions we explored: 🔵What is youth social action and why now? 🔵 How have personal challenges shaped your leadership? 🔵 What does “youth-led” mean to us? 🔵 What role do adults and youth workers play — and what do you wish they understood better? 🔵 A story of youth social action that made an impact? → I highlighted the inspiring place-based change led by the United Youth Alliance in Blackpool, especially their young women’s social action group, whose work continues to make waves in their community. It was a powerful conversation about leadership, lived experience, and the future of youth voice in driving community change. 💬 The episode is out now — I’d love to hear your thoughts on what youth social action means to you. Episode: https://lnkd.in/ed6iMeJQ 🌟 And if you’re empowering young people to make a difference in their communities, don’t miss this opportunity — applications for the #iWill Fund are now open! https://lnkd.in/ex5zNESA Thankyou Joe Rich & Lily Mott for the incredible opportunity to work on this!! Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE Holly Notcutt Stephen Skeet Deborah Terras (she/her) Adam Muirhead Kayleigh Wainwright Anna Alcock Lucy R.

Lovely to be invited to the UK House of Lords for the Youth Leads UK 15th Year Anniversary and the launch of their new strategy. (6th October 2025). It was my first Co-Chair appearance for the The #iWill Movement and I was accompanied by my Co-Chair partner in crime, Molly Taylor. We spoke to many partners, familiar faces and great colleagues including the amazing team at Youth Leads UK that spoke about their influence and impact. It was a pleasure to meet Saeed Atcha MBE DL for the first time and hear about the story he has been on since he first founded Youth Leads UK 15 years ago. He also acknowledged the room we were in, the Attlee Room after PM Clement Attlee who founded our beloved NHS and was a youth worker himself! Of course it would not be an event without the marvellous Co-Founder of The #iWill Movement, Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE who pointed me out as the tallest person in the room (I am obvious!) and followed on the topic of Prime Ministers saying that PM William Pitt The Younger was Prime Minister at just 24 years of age showing that Youth Leadership has been around for sometime. I met so many amazing young people from all corners of Youth Leads UK from their Youth Advisory Board, Board of Trustees to those on the Leadership Programme, there is a place for anyone and everyone which is a great lesson to understand. Looking forward to seeing where the strategy takes them for the next five years and I will be keeping a close eye on it! #YouthLeadsUK #TheiWillMovement #15Years #Strategy #2030Ambition #Youth #YouthVoice #YouthLeadership #YouthEmpowerment #YoungPeople #CoChairs #Partnerships #Collaboration

I I’ve been very busy these past six weeks - officially a self-proclaimed octopus now- and I want to share some highlights! 🐙 Place-based work The #iWill Movement In Blackpool, I met the United Youth Alliance and saw how proudly young people are reimagining their town’s future. Then, In Ipswich, I sat with local young people to explore what “place” means to them. Different places, similar powerful themes: identity, belonging and hope. 🔵 10th September – Visit to Brighton Youth Centre I visited Brighton Youth Centre (BYC) , reopening in October 2025 with Youth Investment Fund support, and it was a privilege to see the incredible space being created for young people. In conversations with local youth workers, we agreed on the need for more informal spaces to discuss the contemporary issues shaping our practice. Adam Tania Gage 🔵 15th September – YouthTheGap CIC Kaia A session centred on the idea of innovation – not just results-driven innovation, but human-centred innovation. We discussed how communities already innovate with very little, often without recognition or funding. The message was clear: true community work is reciprocal, rooted in people, not profit. The evening supported The Hummingbird Project - Aid and Solidarity for Refugees and discovered that Bobby received a UKRI research grant!!! 🔵 16th September – TNLCF Board Meeting I had the opportunity to speak alongside my friend Lily Mott about how our lives have been impacted through IWill, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. We also heard lived experiences from Partnership for Young London , Peer Power Youth and My Life My Say – powerful testimonies on why funding matters. Joe, Peter Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE 🔵 19th September – The Social Society ( Toni ) A festival gathered people passionate about community, volunteering and humanity, offering everything from solidarity and resistance workshops to playful activities like dance and chicken relays—reminding me of our inner child and how staying connected to it shapes what we give to the world. 🔵 Late September – Ashoka UK & Ireland Summer Garden Party Attended with Gracie, Claire and Anita at the Green Energy Garden. A beautiful space filled with social innovators – more reflections on this soon. Shafat Lulu 🔵 30th September – Gracie & 3DE Gracie shared her work from the Third Dimension Education project, funded by Big Change, which advocates for a “third dimension” in children’s and young people’s development - their right to explore identity, purpose and inner life education. 🔵 6th October – House of Lords Visited the House of Lords to celebrate Youth Leads UK’ 15 years and the launch of their new strategy, Generation: NOW with Henry It was a true showcase of youth voice and participation in action – embedded across the organisation. When young people are given resources and trust, they don’t just take part – they reimagine the future. Well done Saeed and team.