HOW CAN I
UNLEASH YOUTH VOICES?

What is youth participation?

Youth participation means young people taking an active part in the decisions that affect their lives — not as an afterthought, but as partners. It covers everything from a quick poll on a youth-club activity, to sitting on a panel that helps shape a new park, to being consulted on how council money is spent.

There's a well-known ladder of participation, from adults doing things for young people, through consulting them, right up to young people leading decisions themselves. The higher up the ladder, the more real the power — and the better the outcomes, because the people closest to the problem usually understand it best.

Why young voices matter

• Decisions made about you affect you. Schools, streets, transport, youth services, housing — these are shaped by adults in rooms. Your lived experience is evidence no report can match.
• Councils are obliged to listen. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to be heard in matters that affect them. Camden Council is signed up to a Youth Promise that commits to involving young people in decisions.
• It changes outcomes. When young people help design services, those services actually get used. Tokenism — asking then ignoring — erodes trust. Genuine participation builds it.

Civic engagement, explained

Civic engagement is the broader term — any way you take part in the life of your community and its democracy. That includes:

• Voting (from 16 in some local elections) and registering to vote.
• Responding to council consultations and surveys.
• Joining a youth council, youth parliament, or residents' group.
• Volunteering with a local charity or community project.
• Campaigning — writing to your councillor, organising, or speaking at a meeting.

You don't need to be 18 to be civically engaged. Many of the most effective campaigns in Camden have been led by teenagers.

How to get involved in Somers Town

Here are concrete steps you can take this week:

1. 1. Take the Project Jinn questionnaire. It takes a few minutes and your answers go straight to the team shaping proposals for Camden Council. Start here →
2. 2. Meet your councillors. Camden councillors hold regular surgeries in Somers Town. They work for you — you can raise anything from broken street lighting to youth-service cuts.
3. 3. Join the STCA. The Somers Town Community Association runs youth activities and is a direct route into local decision-making. Drop in on Chalton Street.
4. 4. Stand for the Camden Youth Council. If you're 11–19 and live, work or study in Camden, you can put yourself forward. Elected members feed straight into Council decisions.
5. 5. Respond to consultations. Camden runs open consultations on everything from planning to budgets. A short response counts — they have to read it.
6. 6. Talk to Somers. Our AI avatar can answer questions about the area and point you to the right people. Open the chat →

Your rights as a young person

You have the right to be heard under Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child — which the UK has ratified. That means public bodies should give your views weight, in line with your age and understanding.

You also have the right to access information about decisions affecting you, to gather and express your views peacefully, and to be protected from discrimination for speaking up. If you feel you've been ignored in a formal process, you can raise it — with your school, the Council, or the Children's Commissioner for England.

Where to go next