Meet The Ambassadors

YOUTH AMBASSADORS

FYA Ambassdors are at the forefront of FYA, representing members and making decisions across the whole organisation. The FYA Youth Ambassador Programme directly involves and empowers young people in the running of the organisation by training a team of alumni young people to represent the voices of young people within FYA projects and be involved in organisational decisions.

The ambassadors normally meet monthly. They steer the organisation alongside our Trustee board, doing their own research and consultation activities and events to find out what young people in Camden are passionate about, conducting peer reviews with project participants to ensure our work is high standard and relevant, and supporting our programmes as young leaders and acting as peer support for new members.

The project was launched in February 2017 and you can see pictures from our ambassador teams below since.

Current Ambassadors 2024!

Our current Ambassadors have had their training weekend and their first meeting of the new year – We will update this page with their actions as soon as possible!

Co-Chairs – Aydin and Samuel

Vice Chairs – Siham (Services and Equality and Diversity) and Freddie (Comms)

Minute Taker and Resources – Farjana

Communications and Design officer – Ayesha

Wellbeing and Participation Officers – Jamie (Sports and Engagement), Medine (Arts and Wellbeing), Aaliyana (Health and Wellbeing)

Fundraising and New Project Budgets – Ruby

Ambassador Programme Treasurer – Mahfuz

FYA Monthly Socials Treasurer – Yaseen

Alumni Ambassadors Oct 2022-Oct 2023

What our Ambassadors achieved 2022-23

• The team met monthly since their training in October – supporting the steering of the organisation. The Co-chairs have also attended trustee meetings, and representatives sat on those subgroups with trustees. Trustees also had open invitations to all Ambassador meetings
• Ambassadors had two key elements of strategy to work on this year – Consultation and Peer Review
• Ambassadors have been trained in consultation and community listening and conducted peer research relating to what motivates young people to attend FYA and feelings of safety in their local areas. Ambassadors were also trained in interview skills to conduct interview based research.
• Ambassadors designed a workshop to train the next cohort of Ambassadors in peer research to run a workshop or focus group.
• Over 80 young people took part in the consultation run by Ambassadors through interviews and focus groups.

Findings from 2023 Consultation – Any actions relating to this consultation will be taken on by the next Cohort of Ambassadors

1 Self esteem, insecurities and expectations- including mental health support

• so many expectations from parents, school, self – self worth, esteem impacted and insecurities and feelings of failure
• want places to be able to be themselves
• skills to feel confident in self, and in your body (often came from young men) 
• skills for resilience or to explore those feelings
• Impacts strategy as mental health and wellbeing to thread through all programmes, also how it links to below and friendship at the heart where you can find your people who support you to feel more secure in your own body and self

2 Money worries and development of Skills for life and wider wellbeing 

• financial health and workshops e.g. how to save, how to invest
• skills throughout programmes but also one off offers of skills not just on project e.g. first aid, or skill they can use to then be paid
• cost of living and risk for young people to seek unsafe ways to earn
• other life skills
• incentives to join programmes – make this super clear like trips, food, certificates but also what else they gain from being here 

3 equity, equality and access to opportunity

• libraries mentioned as quite equitable spaces to study, to get resource, use WiFi but not everywhere has this – campaign?
• opportunities to earn younger than 16 and lower risk of exploitation
• access to health and gym (most gyms 18+ and/or too expensive) 
• more promotion of ability to volunteer with FYA/projects count as volunteering and work experience 
• everyone’s road should look the same whether they are rich or not
• access to MH support e.g. free counselling
• equality and support in education – tutoring and differences for those who can afford – even resources like pens, paper, revision support 

4 social, connection and community

• space where ANY young person is welcome, no expectations other than within our values and kind, respectful treatment of each other
• FYA is unique in how we value our young people and are asset based – everyone can fit here, everyone has something they bring to their teams and we do not view them from a deficit  
• people really do find friends here – this is why it is a significant element of strategy, so socials and events support this on and between projects – what it means to be part of FYA
• knowing people and finding your ‘community’ can help feel safer 
• feeds into strategy re friendship at the heart of social action – socials can help be a recruitment tool, a peer support space, a space for stress release, a place for creative consultation or action, a gap fill for those who are waiting or just finished project and instills greater emphasis on the importance of spending time together is important for wellbeing and in order to create action

5 access to harmful information and items- social media and vapes

• being able to be resilient to some of the messaging on social media/recognising unhealthy or harmful info
• social media companies being challenged about how much harmful information they allow (campaign?) Rather than restrict young people use of platforms
• easy access to vapes – people in school uniform knowing which shops to go to who will sell to them even though they are blatantly underage – more punishment for them for this
• Feeds into strategy through consistent updating of programmes e.g peer ed might support this or the youth action and decision makers project 

6 promotion of FYA and support for Young People in general locally

• peer to peer recommendations of services and support but also more people knowing who we are and range of opportunity
•  increased assemblies and chances to meet young people face to face
•  more posters/leaflets in key visible places and not just reliance on social media and WhatsApp
•  improved website so people can find info easier

7 maintenance and care of community spaces and crime

• links to place based work and places of belonging for young people or their capacity to be part of design against crime etc
• everyone’s road should look the same whether they are rich or not 
• train security locally to know how to work with young people 

Alumni Ambassadors Oct 2021-Oct 2022

If you would like to find out more about our Youth Ambassadors, or have an opportunity that they might be interested in, please contact: 

Ellie Rudd, Youth Leadership Manager – ellie.rudd@fya.org.uk or 07923849277

Previous Ambassadors

What our Ambassadors achieved 2020-2021

• The team met monthly since their training in October – supporting the steering of the organisation into recovery. The Co-chairs have also attended trustee meetings, and representatives for Comms and fundraising have sat on those subgroups with trustees.
• We are working with staff and trustees on the new strategy for the organisation.
• Health and Wellbeing Officers Tomisin and Nana wrote a blog that has been featured by Camden Healthwatch! https://www.healthwatchcamden.co.uk/blog/2021/04/08/young-people-are-key-community-influencers-covid-19-vaccine
• Co-chair Anisah spoke at Camden New Journal’s recent livestreamed event about vaccine hesitancy related to young people.
• Khalid, Mathura and Fahim completed initial funding applications and are managing the budget for the new residential – fingers crossed!
• Emilia and Grace have set priorities for the comms team regarding annual awareness days we want to promote
• Pia and Gloria are working on an employability page for the website to support more young people to get support and inspire potential career pathways from volunteering!
• Ose and Hana have led warm up activities for the monthly meetings and are planned two fun activities – community clean up and fun day in June and are planning a team bake off for our final trip!
• Anisah, Hana, Ose, Emilia and Mathura took part in London Youth City Leaders Project, with Emilia, Mathura and Ose also participating in City Leaders Futures employability programme. Emilia and Mathura were awarded special recognition award for their contributions!