“Their support has been invaluable over the last year and I look forward to working with more young people as we make a tangible difference in the lives of disadvantaged and disabled young people across the country" - Sophie, Programme Leader

Access Sport is searching for young people between the ages of 14 and 25 years old to join our National Youth Board and Regional Youth Voice Groups based in Bristol, London and Manchester.

Through their expertise and guidance, the Youth Board represent the voices of young people in the communities we support. By sharing innovative ideas based on their lived experience, the Youth Board are a crucial component in our ongoing efforts to make inclusion the norm in community sport.

After a successful 2023, the Youth Board have taken this decision to  expand our youth representation offer, to include  both a hyper-local and a national approach. 

The National Board will contribute to the vision and overall growth of the charity, as well as advocate for inclusion across all community sport. The Regional Youth Voice Groups will support communities locally by advising our on-the-ground delivery managers.

Dren, Youth Board Chair, said: 

"It has been a real pleasure to see how the Youth Board has grown and contributed towards Access Sport's success throughout the last few years. As we enter a new phase providing platforms to influence the direction of the charity at both national and regional levels, now stands an even stronger opportunity to use our youth voice as a platform to leverage the benefits that increased inclusion brings within community sports."

Ruby, Youth Board Vice-Chair, said: 

“It’s fantastic to see the Youth Board expanding! With more young people getting involved, we can ensure that Access Sport’s work reaches those who need it most, creating sustainable interventions both across the nation and in local communities. I'm excited to see what we can achieve over the next few years!”

Sophie Epsley, Programme Leader, said:

“It is fantastic to see our youth voice offer developing. Their support has been invaluable over the last year and I look forward to working with more young people as we make a tangible difference in the lives of disadvantaged and disabled young people across the country. I’m confident that this move towards a regional and national youth board will allow us to better represent young people than ever before!”

Alex Claydon, Young Leaders Academy Manager, said:

“It’s important that Youth Voice is at the core of what we do at Access Sport. The National Youth Board have been fantastic in their work over the past year and this step to introduce Regional Youth Voice Groups will allow for more disadvantaged and disabled young people to be represented and have a voice in our work. It’s an exciting time for us and young people across the country”

As we reach this milestone in our Youth Board’s development, now felt like the perfect time to round up some of their key achievements over the last year:

February 2023 
As part of developing our training offer, the Youth Board helped design persona cards based on young people affected by the cost-of-living crisis. These persona cards will be used as resources in training community clubs to better understand the financial and societal challenges young people are currently experiencing, as well as how this prevents them from being physically active. 

April 2023 
Members of the Youth Board attended a wheelchair basketball training session delivered by the London Titans – the largest and most successful Southern England wheelchair basketball club. Paralympian and London Titans Chair, Matt Sealy, taught the group how to manoeuvre their chairs, practice their passing, shooting and dribbling and put everything together in a game. It was a fantastic opportunity for the Youth Board to better understand how important community sessions are for disabled young people.

August 2023 
The Youth Board planned their first multi-sport event in South East London for disabled young people and their families. As there are fewer sports and physical activity opportunities for disabled young people to take part in, the Youth Board organised a variety of free taster sessions including meditation, tennis and archery. It was the group’s first opportunity to plan, deliver and evaluate an event and ensure everyone had a fantastic time. 

September 2023 
The Youth Board travelled from across the UK to come together in person at our Head Office in London for a team day. The group provided feedback about our Young Leaders Academy and helped inform our plans for the Youth Board in 2024. They also had lots of inspiring conversations about engaging underserved young people with a specific emphasis on female inclusion.

Interested in applying to our National Youth Board or Regional Youth Voice Group?

To find out more and how to apply please download the recruitment pack:
Youth Board - Application Pack