Upcoming Youth Panel Open Evenings
We will be hosting two Youth Panel open evenings on:
- Wednesday 20 August, 6-7pm. Sign up here
- Tuesday 26 August, 6-7pm. Sign up here
In these sessions, YoungMinds staff and current Youth Panellists will provide information about the programme and application process, speak about their experiences and try to answer as many questions as possible.
These sessions are for information only. Attendance will not be tracked.
Unvailable?
If you can't attend either open evening and you still have questions that aren't answered in the information below, we will happily reply to any queries sent to us at YESP@youngminds.org.uk
What is the Youth Panel?
The Youth Panel is about the 'behind the scenes' of a charity. We discuss the big picture questions about YoungMinds as an organisation, like who we are, where we are going, or what we should do.
We talk about things like strategy, safeguarding, fundraising, organisational culture, risk management, data protection, and brand and marketing.
The Youth Panel’s job is to understand how YoungMinds works, to help our Directors and our Board of Trustees make the best decisions to achieve our mission.
The decisions that you make as a Youth Panel help to shape the future of the charity and the work that we do.
Applications to be on our next Youth Panel will open on Friday 22 August. The link to the application form will be hosted on this webpage.
My experience at YoungMinds has been so humbling and insightful. Being a Panellist gave me a sense of accountability and responsibility to discuss important issues relating to young people’s mental health.
What does a Youth Panellist do?
The Youth Panel is involved in shaping projects across our whole organisation.
They ask questions like:
- Is this right for YoungMinds?
- How should our charity approach this?
- Does this fit with our strategy?
- Who else needs to be part of this conversation?
Here are some of the ways you'll get involved:
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Zoom calls where we meet with different teams across the organisation to hear about their work and provide input on projects.
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Saturday sessions where you will undertake project work, hear about organisational updates and take part in skills development sessions.
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One or two Youth Panel representatives attending Board of Trustee meetings (four to five per year).
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Getting involved with ad-hoc opportunities to represent the Youth Panel in various internal and external meetings.
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Regular check-ins with the programme lead to support with development aims and wellbeing.
I have met some extraordinary young people from all walks of life, and I couldn’t ask to work with a better team.
What are the time commitments?
The Youth Panel is a two year programme, and we hope that you will get involved as much as you can during that time. As a Youth Panellist, we ask that you are able to make the following commitments.
I'm proud that YoungMinds genuinely uses the voice of young people to guide their approach as a charity and change the misconceptions around mental health.
Who can apply to be on the Youth Panel?
You don’t have to have loads of volunteering experience or get top grades to be on the Youth Panel. The main thing that we are looking for is passion!
You’ll need to be aged between 16 and 25 for the whole two years of the programme. If you’re already 24 or 25, unfortunately it is too late for you to join our Youth Panel.
You also need to live in England.
At YoungMinds we want to make sure that we are listening to young people with lots of different backgrounds and experiences, so we are prioritising applications from young people who:
- have a physical disability or long term physical illness
- are Black or from a minoritised ethnicity
- are trans, non-binary, or gender non-conforming
- are as working class
- are male/men (both trans or cis)
How do I apply?
Applications to be on the Youth Panel will open on Friday 22 August. The application deadline is 9am on Monday 29 September.
You can apply for the Youth Panel by completing the application form on our website. You will have the option to write your answers, upload a video or audio note, or to let us know another way that might be more accessible for you.
You will be asked to answer these questions:
- Why do you want to volunteer for YoungMinds?
- Why are you interested in being a member of a Youth Panel?
- What part of a charity are you most interested in learning more about?
When we read your application, we will want to see that:
- You are passionate about young people’s mental health and the work of YoungMinds
- You understand the role of the Youth Panel, and that it is different from our Activist programme.
- You want to learn more about the ‘behind the scenes’ of running a charity
We will also ask if you have done any volunteering before, and if you identify with any of the groups we are prioritising.
If you are under 18, we will also ask for the contact details of your parent or guardian. If your application is successful, we will need to check with them that they are happy for you to take part in the programme. We will always talk to you first before we contact them.
FAQs
More opportunities for young people
If this isn't the right opportunity for you, take a look at some of the other ways you can get involved as a young person with our work.
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Youth Advisors work alongside YoungMinds staff, making sure that everything we do is done in partnership with young people.
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Take a look at the opportunities we have to share your mental health story by writing for YoungMinds.
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Become a YoungMinds Activist so you can raise your voice about mental health and create change.