Reflecting on the Festival of Childhood

“Last Friday, I hosted my second Our Future, Our Voice: Festival of Childhood in collaboration with the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester. The event built on my inaugural Festival of Childhood , continuing my mission to make sure children’s voices are heard at the highest level of decision making. As Children’s Commissioner, my priority is to listen to children across the country and to champion their voices. Since becoming Commissioner five years ago, I have heard from one million children – through visits, engagements and two major surveys The Big Ask and The Big Ambition . My most recent poll shows that today’s generation of teenagers are growing up worried about their futures and uncertain about voting in the next general election. The polling paints a stark picture, with half of 13 to 17-year-olds saying they either do not know which political party they would support in the next general election or if they would even vote at all. By 2029, an estimated four million more young people, currently aged 13 to 17, could be eligible to vote under plans to extend the voting age to 16-year-olds – yet many are approaching this milestone feeling disconnected from politics and uncertain their voice matters. At the same time, there is widespread anxiety among teenagers about what lies ahead. Nine in 10 say they worry about the future, with concerns ranging from having a good home, having enough money, and doing well in school or college, to war and conflict. That is why I have launched my third – and final – large scale national survey, The Big Future , to hear from children about their lives now and in the years ahead, changes they would like to see to improve their local areas, their thoughts on voting and what they need to be prepared for the future, and what the government needs to do to improve childhood in England. The Festival was an opportunity to raise the profile of this work, bringing together hundreds of young delegates, including my youth Ambassadors, with a diverse audience of adult decision makers to talk about the issues impacting children’s lives. The Festival sparked a national conversation about youth voice, beginning with an uplifting performance from Oldham Youth Choir, which led to a series of speeches from Science and Industry Museum Director, Sally MacDonald OBE, Group Chief Executive for Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Caroline Simpson and my Ambassadors, Tamar and Annabel, who spoke about the challenges facing young people today. In my speech, joined by my Ambassadors Muhammad, Fasanya and Ella, I outlined the main concerns that children face today from the cost of living to loneliness to AI. Too often we seek children’s views, then ignore them. It’s my mission to change this. The Big Future is a chance for all children in England to tell me what needs to be acted on. Children are clear: listen to us, take us seriously, and build a world we belong in. Later in the morning, I chaired a panel discussion looking at online safety and the proposed social media ban for under-16s featuring Jay Weatherill, the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, broadcaster Ore Oduba, and two of my youth Ambassadors, Temi and Annabel, to hear directly from young people about the impact of the online world. In the afternoon, young delegates had the chance to join a number of workshops on ideas that change the world, children centred cities, and listening to youth voice; Tech She Can ran workshops focusing on digital well-being and the future of AI; and My Life, My Say ran Democracy Cafes teaching the power of democracy and encouraging young people to get involved in politics. As I reflect on the Festival of Childhood, I want to thank everyone involved in making the day such a success – especially the Science and Industry Museum. I want to thank all the young delegates who joined me – your voices were the heartbeat of the day. Your honesty, creativity and courage lit up every conversation and will have inspired the adults in the room. My job championing youth voices does not stop there and this week I’ve begun my roadshow across England to visit children in all areas and give them the opportunity to have their say in The Big Future to tell the government and local decision makers what matters to them. It’s clear that children have the ideas, insight and passion for change, they need adults to listen, act and be by their side. The post Reflecting on the Festival of Childhood appeared first on Children's Commissioner for England .

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