Kim Emenike is the Senior Programme Manager at the Department for Education, but you would never guess that she grew up in care. She advocates for care-experienced individuals just like the ones we support in YPSA. She is an advocate for the Care Experienced Community and is a youth voice contractor for the Participation People. She has recently written her first book, The Insider’s Guide to Foster Care: What Care Leavers Need You to Know. Kim works tirelessly to make sure care-experienced voices don’t go unheard. She believes that the system is “broken” and she is determined to do her part to fix it!

Shane Grant is Lewisham’s Young Mayor for 25/26. His manifesto centres on three main areas: Enterprise and jobs for young people, faith and community cohesion, and parks and improved public spaces. Shane’s deputy is Jimaine Lee. These 14-year-old black boys have a weekly meeting with youth advisors who help shape policy, allocate budget, and run youth-led projects. They have worked to reopen youth clubs that have been shut down and create more spaces for young people. We could all learn something from this incredible example. 

We had the pleasure of meeting Louise Lyons-Appiah during our Youth in Mind Conference in 2024. Alongside other young people from the Young Changemakers partnership, she interviewed our keynote speaker, Kay Rufai. Now, she is the co-founder of Synkora Consulting, a youth-led Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) consultancy. Louise has continued to make waves within the EDI space with her impeccable public speaking and her nuanced approach.

Cach Mercer won the 2025 Love Island with Toni Laites. Instead of going down the traditional route of former Love Island stars, he became the newest ambassador for Young Minds UK. At the start of October, the dancer and influencer launched a campaign featuring Black and Asian boys about why it is important to speak about their emotions. Mental health is a stigmatised topic, and this becomes heightened in racialised communities, especially within the black community. During the Love Island series, Cach was praised by many for his vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and reflectiveness, which are often traits that we don’t get to see young black men portraying on reality TV.

Munya Chawawa is known for being a satirist, comedian, filmmaker, and social media star, but did you know that in October, he started the Black Boys Theatre Club? This community-led initiative aims to open up the world of theatre to a new generation of young Black boys, inspired by Chawawa’s own experience of discovering the medium, but rarely seeing himself represented on stage. BBTC will collaborate with several schools in the London area, with support from such organisations as Nando’s, National Theatre, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and Bush Theatre, to combine theatre trips with Chawawa with behind-the-scenes access to the industry for 15 and 16-year-olds. These experiences will finish with a debrief at Nando’s, where the boys can discuss the play and its themes with Chawawa.

Cat Burns is a singer, songwriter, and queer icon. Her music isn’t only filled with beautiful melodies, but it continues to uplift and talk openly about the struggles and joys of queer relationships and her experiences of blackness. She is very open on TikTok about her neurodivergence and has become a beacon of hope for many black girls who are statistically diagnosed in their adulthood. You can also currently see her on BBC One’s Celebrity Traitors.

Faustine Petron, along with the rest of the Make It Mandatory team, held an event in parliament with Amnesty Feminists. The team of four also consists of Ithar Ghalifa and Darius Smith. Earlier in October, they brought together industry professionals such as the End Violence Against Women Coalition, NAMSS, and Everyone’s invited into one space to hear powerful testimony as to why they want RSE to be extended to 18. This grassroots campaign started right here in Oxfordshire, and we are so proud to see how far this campaign has reached.

This is just a small snapshot into a few incredible black people in our country and county who are doing great things to support the futures of young people and to stand firm in pride and power. Black history is a part of the tapestry that makes up the country we all get to live in right now.

Who is a Black person today that inspires you?

Having grown up in Oxford, I feel it is vital, particularly as a young person, to be aware of and understand the real inequalities within Oxfordshire. I wanted to spend my summer doing something meaningful and inspiring that aligned with my values while also offering an insightful learning experience. Oxfordshire Youth offered me this. Throughout my placement, I was able to apply skills from my degree in a setting that clearly drives positive change.

I was given the opportunity to work on a wide range of tasks across the organisation, with a particular focus on fundraising. My work involved conducting due diligence and background checks on potential partners and funders, writing trust funding applications, contributing to a pitch presentation, and learning about the charity’s local projects and how they support young people in the community.

These experiences helped me understand the vital work that happens behind the scenes to deliver programmes that support young people and keep the whole organisation functioning.

One of the most meaningful parts of my time at OY was gathering feedback from surveys given to local young people, which helped shape future initiatives based on their voices. This highlighted to me the importance of listening to the perspectives of the young people to create meaningful and relevant change.

When youth organisations offer work experience opportunities to young adults, they are not just providing professional development. They are empowering young people to help amplify the voices of their peers. Youth-led insight is essential if we want support systems that truly reflect the needs and priorities of young people.

I gained numerous transferable skills during my time at Oxfordshire Youth, including persuasive writing, research and data handling, understanding the importance of anonymity, safeguarding and data protection, recognising how different departments of an organisation work together, and appreciating the importance of youth work, particularly on a local scale.

I am incredibly grateful to the team at Oxfordshire Youth for being so welcoming and for trusting me with meaningful and engaging work. My time with you has shown me how much thought and strategy goes into championing young people – through both direct support and programmes, and in securing the resources and funding that keep these programmes, and the charity itself, running.

Youth work is vital to local communities, and giving young people like me the chance to work with charities first-hand provides valuable knowledge and skills while offering organisations a fresh perspective. It reinforces the importance of youth work taking place both for young people and in partnership with them, at every level.

This isn’t about charity. It’s about solidarity with young people facing trauma, inequality, and exclusion. It’s about moving beyond funding youth services to reshaping the systems that continue to fail them.

The campaign marks a deliberate shift from strategy to action. It targets three deep-rooted challenges facing young people today:-

The Business Guardians is designed to help dismantle what’s holding young people back – and to create the solutions for real, lasting change.
We cannot keep applauding resilience in young people without asking why it’s needed.

This isn’t about charity. It’s about justice. It’s about responsibility. It’s about leadership.

It is essential to recognise the psychological impact that this can have. Our Young Women and Girls Project Coordinator reflected that, “Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young women and girls is key to the work I do as part of the Young Women and Girls Project. Wellbeing has to be at the forefront of the project because by supporting young women and girls to build their self-esteem, confidence, and feelings of safety, we help them to dream, achieve, and thrive.

Young women and girls face overwhelming challenges to their mental health, and between the ages of 17-25 years, are twice as likely to experience mental health concerns as their male counterparts. Stresses from social media, societal pressures, and body image expectations all disproportionately affect young women and girls, and can lead to many anxieties, low mood, and social isolation.

The importance of building positive communities in the lives of our young people is vital. So many young women and girls are stuck at home, unable to go to school or see friends because they feel too anxious or defeated to leave the house. The Young Women and Girls Project helps them access their community, engage in education outside of a school environment, and take part in activities and hobbies that they may otherwise not be introduced to.

Showing our young people that they can believe in their dreams and strive for more is a privilege, and it’s our duty as youth workers and professionals to make this a reality and invest in their mental health and wellbeing for their futures.”

If this sounds like something that would benefit young women that you work with, please reach out.

You can find our referral form here!

Please email all referrals securely to ywagcherwell.referrals@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk.

Navigating the world as a young trans person is already difficult, especially in a world that too often invalidates and endangers them.

Our Youth Sector Development Coordinator, Mia Clement (She/They), expressed that they’ve seen how anti-LGBTQ+ decisions like this have reverberated through the youth sector.

“They leave trans young people feeling more isolated, less safe, and more uncertain about where they can exist authentically. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s unacceptable.

I believe in trans youth’s right to be seen, respected, and protected. This judgment doesn’t change that. If anything, it’s a reminder of how urgently we need to reaffirm our commitment to inclusion and to challenge the narratives that seek to undermine the identities and lives of trans people.

I also stand with the youth workers, educators, and organisations who are doing the quiet, vital work of making spaces safer, more affirming, and more just. Your work matters. Your courage matters.”

Here at Oxfordshire Youth, we know how vital it is to create accepting, understanding, and respectful spaces for transgender people EVERYDAY and show our young people and the young people of Oxford what it means to be an inclusive community.

Together, we can create a world of acceptance and understanding.

To any young person reading this who feels shaken or unwelcome: you matter. You are not alone. You deserve dignity, love, and joy—exactly as you are. We are with you!

If you need help and support, please reach out to the organisations below:

Switchboard LGBT

Mermaids

Mind Out

LGBT Foundation

Papyrus UK

Galop

Gendered Intelligence

Young Minds UK

Topaz Oxford

LGBTQ+ Oxfordshire

TransOxford

Oxford Pride

YWMP

TRAIN

Katie’s passion for supporting others is evident in her dedication to the YPSA and her commitment to making a difference. She has always been a role model, inspiring others with her efforts, and now, she’s pushing herself even further to raise vital funds. As she takes the leap, she invites everyone to join her on the day – and while she may be braving the winds at 10,000 feet, she’s keeping her sense of humour, joking that she might lose an eyelash on the way down!

Emmy is ‘So proud of you’ and thanks you for ‘being such a powerful role model.’ Sue will cheer her on and aim to bring young people to see it too.

We are so proud of you, Katie, for all your efforts within YPSA and your fundraising efforts.

Let’s rally around her as she does this. She aims to raise £500 and she is already pushing towards this.

Until further notice, the telephone lines are temporarily closed.

If you need to reach someone, please use the following emails:

members@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk

dbs@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk

admin@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk

Someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you, there will be more updates soon.

After working in a secondary school in Oxfordshire, Debs (The Founder of Know Your Worth) began to notice the impact of low self-esteem on our teenage girls, and how many girls were struggling and struggling with low motivation, self-consciousness and a lack of confidence. 

Some girls were slow to raise their hand in a lesson or volunteer answers for fear of being wrong or looking around them to check they were fitting in. Panic attacks, anxiety and low mood were among other symptoms of low self-esteem. For some it impacted their education, but more importantly, their sense of self-worth and true belonging.

This became the catalyst for Debs starting Know Your Worth. They wanted to help teenage girls build self-esteem and make good decisions. Earlier this year, we conducted some interviews with them about their work and this is what they had to say:

We are so proud to have Know Your Worth as one of our brilliant Changemakers. They have been running their incredible 8-week courses in schools and youth groups across Oxfordshire and Berkshire since 2022. 

All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

Today is the 12th day of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Even though Know Your Worth doesn’t directly support the space against gender-based violence, we know that girls are at particular risk of violence. The empowerment of young women to understand consent and how to be treated properly, set clear boundaries and boost their self-esteem away from the male gaze is such an important part of the Know Your Worth programme. Emilie, the course facilitator, explained to us how men and boys can support women and girls to be empowered.

We all have a part to play in building a world for women, girls, and all marginalised identities to feel safe, empowered, uplifted, and protected. As Emilie said, it isn’t just about blaming men (they also exist under patriarchal systems), but working together to unlearn harmful practices, learning ways of uniting together and finding solutions that bring about gender equity.

If you are searching for a way to uplift the young women around you, you need to speak to Debs and her amazing team. Enquire today about getting Know Your Worth into your School or Youth Club.

On International Men’s Day (19th November), Tabitha Morton, the CEO of UN Women UK, wrote an opinion piece for The Big Issue about how men must step up in combating violence against women and girls. Her article gives very actionable things that we can all do. Go and check out the full article here.

She carefully explains the importance of being an active bystander. As a bystander (someone who might witness harassment firsthand or who is subsequently informed of the incident), we can move from a passive state to an active state without putting our own personal safety at risk by adopting UN Women’s ‘stop, support, report’ mindset. It is worth highlighting the aspect of personal safety, especially when communicating with young people about becoming active bystanders. 

We all have a duty, from young people to youth work practitioners, to make sure that we stand up against gender-based violence. We agree wholeheartedly with the UN Women’s campaign that states that there is #NoExcuse for violence against women and girls. As a sector, we need to continue to work together to ensure gender equity.

It is more important than ever to educate ourselves and others about the importance of active bystander intervention as it is a crucial part of the solution. When we intervene, we signal to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable.

At Oxfordshire Youth, we remain passionate about standing against gender-based violence. This is why we set up our Young Women and Girls Project.

This supports young women aged 11-25 who are living or are educated in Banbury or Bicester. We are still accepting referrals, so please email us at ywagcherwell.referrals@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk to kickstart the process, express an interest, or find out more.

We understand that the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence can be triggering for so many reasons. If you need any support or help, please reach out to some of these incredible local and national organisations:

Sunrise Multicultural Project

Survivors Space

Oxfordshire Mind

Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Services

Refuge

Respect

Galop

Women’s aid

Surviving Economic Abuse

Earlier this year, we interviewed young people from the North Wall Art Centre’s Youth Board about the importance of Youth Voice. They received Youth Voice Training from our Youth Engagement Manager, Becky Critchley, to help further empower them to pursue their aims, goals, and collective mission.

Layla, Saskia, and Bella are all part of the North Wall youth board and share what this has meant to them. Abie and Amelia have supported this wonderful group of eight young women to produce events and inform decision-making. We are so proud of the work that they are doing together and we cannot wait to see what they continue to accomplish. Don’t forget to check out the amazing work that they are doing at the North Wall.

There is more great youth voice work on the horizon. The Youth Voice and Participation Network will begin on 19th November.

Thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, this partnership will focus on creating a dynamic network for youth participation and advocacy. By ensuring that young people’s voices are heard and valued in the youth sector, we strive to make their perspectives a central part of our work.

Together we will work towards initiatives that are guided by the insights and experiences of young people, aiming to bring about systemic change. This partnership aims to build a more inclusive and responsive environment where young people can actively contribute and influence decisions that affect their lives.

This is a partnership for youth work practitioners and their organisations youth representative.

Join Us in Empowering Youth Voices and Shaping Future Outcomes!

To join the partnership or find out more about the quarterly meetings, email: becky.critchley@oxy.mediasitesvr1.co.uk or call 07718 476080.