Year 11 Youth Advisory Board Member

Stanwell Year 11 Pupil – UNICEF Youth Advisory Board Member

Year 11 pupil Macey Young is one of eight young people in the UK and the only Welsh person appointed to UNICEF  UK Youth Advisory Board. Here she provides a brief insight into this role and how the journey started

It began with a Year 9 school assembly about volunteering opportunities within the Vale of Glamorgan given by the Vale’s Youth Service. It was a project called the ‘Rights Ambassadors’, I became interested as I am passionate about standing up for other people and wanted to be involved in delivering workshops to adults and young people educating them on children’s rights. I volunteered for the role, completed training, and gained a qualification. With my knowledge about the UNCRC I began volunteering throughout the Vale.

Through my work I was able to collaborate and deliver workshops with the children’s commissioner for Wales “Rocio Cifuentes” to bring information to all classrooms in Wales. During this time, I began work upholding girls’ voices and giving everyone a platform to speak. I took my work to County Councillors and members of the Senedd for discussion.  I also worked with a charity called Plan UK and was invited later to the Senedd to speak on their behalf.

During this time I was awarded the 2023 Youth Inspiration award from the Vale of Glamorgan council.

As part of my BTEC Workskills course I had to undertake a work experience placement in summer term 2023.  Due to my work at the Senedd, I was able to gain a placement with two Senedd members Jane Hutt and Andrew RT Davies. I spent a week with Jane Hutt’s Vale of Glamorgan constituency team learning about how they support people in their constituency and a further week with Andrew R T Davies’ team attending visits and learning about their work. 

My charity work for Girl’s Rights was recognised by the charity Plan international UK, and I was chosen to travel to Westminster and shadow Anum Qaisar MP (Scottish Nationalist Party) where I sat on the Women & Equalities committee and attended Prime Minister Questions.

I continued lots of work in the background during this time and as a member of the Vale Youth Council I spotted an application for the UNICEF advisory board and applied. I was then invited for an interview and got the role as a UNICEF advisory board member. I was one of eight chosen out of 200 applicants in the UK and was the only person from Wales chosen.

During the next 2 years as a UNICEF ambassador, I will become the voice for children in UK, meeting with many important decision makers within the UK government, including the children’s minister, somebody that we are due to have an in-person meeting within February, as well as assisting with events such as Soccer Aid.

It is challenging balancing this work with my school work but it is a fantastic experience. After Year 11 I intend to study Politics in the 6^th and I also plan to stand to be a member of Youth Parliament in their 2024 elections.