Revisiting Youth Voice: It Matters

Youth voice has come up time and time again in Belong in Plymouth—and in January 2023, we returned to the challenge with fresh determination.

“Youth influence has waxed and waned,” Matt Bell acknowledged. It’s a familiar pattern: a big push, a burst of enthusiasm, then quiet again. But this time, we wanted to do it differently.

We circulated a draft invitation to professionals and partners, asking them to rethink how they work with young people—not as spokespeople, but as collaborators.

Martyn pushed for clearer, more inclusive language. Jade Ward reminded us that if we want youth voice to last, we have to do more than run one-off events—we have to build trust over time.

We also asked ourselves: are we using the same relational tools we use with adults? Are we creating spaces that young people genuinely want to be in?

It became clear that youth participation isn’t an add-on—it’s a core part of what belonging looks like in a city. And we can’t build that belonging without making space for younger voices to shape the work with us, not after us.

As one partner said, “Let’s not reinvent the wheel. Let’s just make sure the spokes include everyone.”