Troy, a member of Young NCB, gives a first hand account of what its like to be part of NCB's advisory group.
Hi, my name is Troy and I recently joined the National Children’s Bureau’s Advisory Group, YNCB, in March this year.
YNCB is an amazing group and has allowed me to make friends for life as well as enabling me to have my voice heard and hear other young people’s empowering experiences and stories.
Since being a member of YNCB, I have had many fantastic opportunities including contributing to NCB’s podcast celebrating the organisation's 60th Anniversary with Dame Christine Lenehan where we spoke about young people’s views on a wide range of topics as well as the achievements of NCB over the years.
Being a part of the advisory group means that I have a platform with which to speak my mind and share my views with professionals who want to hear what I have to say as a young person. This has allowed me to open up and be who I am as well as inspiring me to make further change for young people.
The advisory group meets once every two months in person, and we do a range of activities, from icebreakers to working together and sharing our own stories. I have had exciting opportunities like learning how to deliver training, filming videos, attending events and writing blogs and podcasts. When attending meetings, NCB helps with organising our lunch and travel there and back as well as giving us a voucher to celebrate our contributions!
A particularly fond memory from my time at YNCB so far is speaking as a group about our life experiences, discussing a range of topics from mental health to exam pressure. I found this very touching that we were able to speak so openly and honestly as sharing this is very powerful, especially as a young person.
I believe you should never be afraid to speak your mind and to have your voice heard as it inspires others to make a difference. Everyone is a superstar in their own way!