Legacy Youth Zone, a UK-based youth charity, has made significant strides in empowering young people through the introduction of a Youth Engagement Officer at the beginning of the year. The organization aims to give young individuals a voice in the decision-making process of the charity. This move has resulted in the formation of a successful Youth Voice Group, which meets weekly to discuss areas in which they would like to see change within the Youth Zone. The group has also played a crucial role in planning community events and activities.
Legacy Youth Zone is part of a network of youth zones across the UK, providing a safe space for young individuals to access opportunities that may not be available to them elsewhere.
Recently, Legacy Youth Zone in Croydon released its 2025 Youth Voice Update, highlighting the continued development of youth leadership, co-production, and organizational influence. From July to October, young people have contributed to key decisions, event planning, program ideas, and strategic discussions with senior leaders and trustees.
Since its launch in July, the Youth Voice group has successfully delivered 13 weekly sessions, held every Wednesday from 6-7pm. Seventeen young individuals have signed up for the group, with a core group of four to eight attending each week. The sessions have focused on building confidence, teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving skills.
In addition to this, Ellie, the Youth Engagement Lead, has introduced a new Junior Council, which was launched three weeks ago in November. The council meets every Tuesday from 4-5pm in the Tranquillity Room and has seen consistent attendance from eight members. The sessions include games, collaborative activities, and structured discussions to understand the younger members’ thoughts on what they want to influence, improve, or introduce within the Youth Zone. Some members have shared their positive experiences:
“The Youth Voice gives me a special place to communicate with the Legacy staff and mainstream students. It gives me ideas on how to make Legacy better in different ways, whether it’s organizing outings or giving the building upgrades. Spaces like this make me feel completely safe and without judging or feeling restricted. And Ellie, I have to say you are so good at creating a nice, welcoming environment for anyone who feels hurt, trapped, or unsafe. And I would love to thank Tristan and Larissa for making Legacy a better place,” said Camron, a Senior Member at Legacy Youth Zone.
“Youth voice has given me a place to be vocal and make decisions for things I didn’t think I had a say in. It’s also been a supportive and open space to bounce ideas off the group without fear of judgment. Ellie is also good at creating a nice and welcoming environment that everyone can feel safe in, as well as Umi and Margarita. It also makes me feel like my opinion is valid. It’s actually nice to sit, talk and plan ideas because when most people my age come together, it’s to talk about things that may not give positive results,” shared Ruthie, another Youth Voice member.
Members of the Youth Voice group have also played a significant role in co-planning and delivering Legacy’s Birthday & Community Day, where they were actively involved in shaping themes, food choices, and activity ideas. Some members even volunteered on the day, providing support from 10:30am until the evening. Additionally, they were instrumental in planning the Open Mic event on September 27, initiated by volunteer Colin and Youth Voice member Arian. Furthermore, staff members Margarita and Uma have collaborated with the Youth Voice group to develop the new Legacy Magazine, highlighting young individuals’ achievements, interests, and opinions.
Furthermore, several Youth Voice members represented Legacy at the VRU Changemakers Summit (Safe Life Mission) at The Organ Factory. They contributed their perspectives on youth violence, housing, knife crime, social media, political issues, and other community concerns, representing the organization on a broader civic platform.
Youth Voice representatives also presented an update to Legacy’s Board of Trustees earlier this term. As a result, a new Youth Voice Action Point will now be included in every board meeting, ensuring that young people’s feedback directly informs organizational decisions.
Looking ahead, Legacy Youth Zone will continue to strengthen the Youth Voice cohort, expand creative and skills-based opportunities, and prepare for major youth-led contributions to the URW redevelopment consultation and future governance engagement.
