BLOG: The Space to Speak – What I’ve Learned from Youth-Led Change (and Why It Matters for Nature)
Groundwork Youth Advisory Board member Bethany, 24, shares why youth voice should not be just an afterthought in order to shape a better future for people, places, and our planet.
I didn’t grow up thinking of myself as a ‘youth voice’. At 16, I signed up to volunteer mostly to get out of the house. It was something to do, a way to meet people, and (if I’m honest) a chance to travel on someone else’s budget. I didn’t know it then, but that decision was the start of something much bigger. That one opportunity led to years of involvement in youth-led groups, campaigns, and creative projects. It taught me how to speak up, and more importantly, how to listen.
Since then, I’ve sat in rooms with government ministers, led workshops on climate action with school kids, helped shape social mobility strategy, and joined conversations I never imagined I’d be part of. It’s easy to assume young people need mentoring but what we also need is room to lead. To ask questions. To make decisions. And the space to care loudly about the places we live and the people we know.
Now, as a Youth Advisory Board Member with Groundwork UK, I get to bring all that experience with me and contribute to the conversations around the importance of nature. It’s still early days, but I can already see the value of being in a space where youth voice isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the structure.
I was lucky to grow up in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where hills framed every view and woods weren’t far from my front door. Even now, I feel most grounded in green spaces. But not every young person has that relationship with the outdoors. For many, it depends on postcode, income, or how accessible their local park is. That’s why access to nature isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s a necessity. And the best way to ensure it becomes truly accessible? Making young people a central voice in conversations about how we protect, shape, and share the outdoors.
Because we’re already doing the work. We’re planting trees, starting sustainability clubs, running community clean-ups, sharing climate infographics on Instagram, and calling out greenwashing. We bring our full selves (and our anger and curiosity and creativity) to the table. So why is the table not always set for us?
Too often, organisations treat youth inclusion as a checkbox, or save one seat for “the youth rep.” That’s not enough. Real change means designing projects with us, not for us. It means budgeting for our travel, valuing our time, and making sure we’re not the only young face in the room.
What I’ve learned across every youth-led group I’ve been part of is this: we don’t just want to be heard. We want to actively shape what happens next.
Nature belongs to all of us, but only if everyone can access it, care for it, and help decide its future. That includes young people. Especially young people.
Find out more about the views of our Youth Advisory Board members in ‘Powered By Us’ – a new youth strategy that puts community and climate at the centre of our work. It is a call to action for policy makers, community leaders and organisations across the UK to prioritise young people in efforts to create fairer, greener places to live and work.
Notes to editors
For more information please contact: media@groundwork.org.uk
About Groundwork
Groundwork is a federation of charities with a collective mission to take practical action to create a fair and green future in which people, places, and nature thrive. We support communities and businesses to build capacity and resilience in order to tackle hardship, achieve a just transition to net-zero and help nature recover in a way that reduces inequality and leads to healthier, happier lives for all: www.groundwork.org.uk