Young people with lived experience of disability are often left out of decisions that affect their lives. Over the past year, the Young Inclusion Champions (YIC) have been changing that, creating opportunities for young people to connect, speak up and make a real difference.
Supported by the Young Gamechangers Fund from the Global Fund for Children, the project has helped young people develop confidence, build new skills and create lasting friendships.
At the heart of YIC is a peer support group that brings together young people who may feel isolated because of disability, distance or other barriers. The group meets online every other week, providing a safe space to share experiences, support each other and have fun.
Building friendships and confidence
One of the biggest achievements this year was a youth-led residential trip to Calvert Lakes in the Lake District.
Young leaders Emma and Bilaal, alongside other members of the group, planned the trip themselves. They made decisions about the venue, activities, budget and travel arrangements, with support from NDTi where needed.
Nine young people travelled from across the country to take part. During the three-day residential they enjoyed canoeing, cycling, archery, walking and building friendships. Just as importantly, they used this time to discuss ideas for future work and invited NDTi leaders to dial into their meeting.
The experience helped many young people feel more connected and less alone.
“It helps you not feel so alone. Through understanding the community, you realise that other people feel the same way. It is not just you, and that can make a big difference.”
Making sure young people's voices are heard
Alongside peer support, Young Inclusion Champions helped design and deliver The Voices that Matter workshops with NDTi and RISE. These sessions focused on how professionals can better listen to and involve young people in decisions about their lives and futures.
Six young people helped create the workshops and four delivered training to professionals working in education, health and social care. In total, 221 people attended the sessions across England.
One Young Inclusion Champion said:
“I wanted to be heard in mainstream spaces as well, not just in disabled spaces.”
Creating opportunities for young people to lead
A defining feature of the project has been young people making real decisions. From managing budgets and planning activities to designing training content and organising the residential, participants have developed practical skills and increased independence.
Reflecting on the experience, young people spoke about gaining confidence in decision-making and learning new skills that will support them in future youth social action and leadership opportunities. Five participants have already expressed a commitment to continuing their involvement in youth social action.
The group’s mission captures the spirit of their work:
“We will enable young people who have faced similar challenges to feel heard and valued and have opportunities to participate in their community and shape the activities and decisions that affect them and their futures.”
Putting NDTi strategy into action
The work of the Young Inclusion Champions reflects the priorities in our new three year strategy, Inclusion, Voices, System Change. The strategy commits our team to supporting people with lived experience to lead change, and YIC is a powerful example of this in action.
Through peer support, leadership opportunities and influencing professionals, young people have shown what can happen when they are given the opportunity to shape decisions, challenge barriers and support one another.
Looking ahead
The Young Gamechangers Fund project may have come to an end, but the Young Inclusion Champions are already looking to the future. The group want to:
- Continue growing its peer support network.
- Deliver training and consultancy to organisations across the UK.
- Organise more activities and residentials to reach even more young people.
Conor Forker, Programme Officer at the Global Fund for Children, said:
“The work the group has done has been so important, not only in creating change through the project itself, but also in inspiring and empowering other young people. They’ve created something they should all be immensely proud of.”
As we begin delivering our new strategy at NDTi, the success of the Young Inclusion Champions shows the difference that can be made when young people are trusted, supported and given the opportunity to lead.
Join the conversation
Our new strategy is both a commitment and an invitation.
Over the coming months we’ll be sharing blogs, videos and conversations from colleagues, partners and people with lived experience that explore the priorities at the heart of our 2026-2029 strategy.
Together, we’ll look at what inclusion, voice and system change mean in practice.
Follow the hashtags or sign up to our newsletter to join in.
