In 2005 I joined Youth on Health as a representative, since then I have been involved with The Youth Association in Leeds for many different things. I have taken part in many one off events and workshops but I have also been involved in lots of on-going projects.
From Facilit8 I have gained accreditations to put on my UCAS form, however, every project will give me lots to talk about at university.
Other sessions such as ROAR, Be Healthy Stay Safe and all the conferences have given me so much confidence in public speaking as I have had many experiences of talking to representatives of many different organisations and in one case, Gordon Brown. I now am able to talk enthusiastically, confidently and fluently which has had a huge impact on me in school, job interviews and I know it will always be valuable in later life.
In fact I have really enjoyed and been so inspired by what The Youth Association in Leeds does that I am helping to organise and run an event to raise awareness of involving young people in governance to gain an EPQ qualification through school.
It is something that I am very passionate about and I have firsthand experience of how beneficial it is, just from the young person’s point of view.
Through working with The Youth Association I have gained a much broader mindset and I am much more aware of decisions that involve Leeds. One example of this is when meeting with the councillors through LSCash. I am very grateful to have had influence in some of these decisions and I have been involved in such a wide range of events and workshops.
Overall working with The Youth Association has been a lot of fun, allowing me to make a lot of friends. The confidence and experience of team work has definitely given me an advantage at university when applying for my degree which is languages and management.
It’s hard to describe the huge impact that The Youth Association has had on me but if I could sum it up in 3 words it would be inspirational, confidence-building and enjoyable!!
Clare Higgins
17 years old
Leeds
