I was six weeks into my internship at Virgin Unite when I joined Big Change’s retreat in the Lake District, alongside partners, funders, grantees, and allies from the Big Change community, working in social impact across different sectors. Honestly, I went in with almost zero expectations. It exceeded anything I could have imagined.

As the youngest in the room, my instinct was to listen. But from the moment I landed, from the coach to the hall, people were drawing me into conversation. In every workshop and discussion, it was clear that my experiences, my opinions, and my voice were as important as others.

I'm naturally quite reserved, yet at no point did I feel unheard. Over those three days I learned that my age doesn't have to be a ceiling. I had something to offer. 

One of the moments that stayed with me is a conversation after watching Jaden Osei-Bonsu’s film, one of the Big Change leaders. In it he revisited hip-hop and sound system culture as sites for learning. So much of it showed my experience of growing up in East London.

Sometimes you don’t realise how culturally embedded some things are within you until you’re in an environment where no one else comes from that background. There are challenges growing up in urban communities, but there’s also a lot of potential and culture in these communities, and I’m a product of that.

The theme that gave language to my story was intergenerational collaboration. It means shifting the power to make decisions away from institutions that decide for young people, and towards the young people who actually stand to gain or lose.

This doesn't mean handing over the reins. It means giving young people agency alongside mentoring: spaces where we can be the decision makers, make mistakes and grow. For me, this is personal. I have three younger brothers, and I want to help shape a society where they can make decisions for themselves.

To any funder wondering why intergenerational spaces matter: we are the ones the world is being handed to. My internship ends in February, and someone new will take my place. We must continually ask ourselves: what are we doing now to make sure the next generation is in the best position to thrive?

On a walk through the national park, I got talking with Ellie Loughnan, Director, Rekindle Foundation and a former headteacher, and Ian Chriswick, co-founder of Cymbrogi Futures, from South Wales. Whether we were kayaking in the cool autumn breeze or sharing some of the best hotpot Cumbria has to offer, conversations happened that wouldn't occur in an office.

I've been taught that culture is what you're intentional about, and Big Change was intentional about openness, honesty, and lifting each other up, which is probably why many came back for a second year. 

Back in the office at Virgin Unite, I’m surrounded by people with years of experience, and I’ve been intentional about bringing the fresh perspective I brought to the retreat. This means asking a question in every meeting and taking every chance to present.

I want to keep building on this through Virgin Unite’s intergenerational collaboration work by thinking about how we centre young people’s voices in everything we do. As a saying I’ve held onto for years goes: closed mouths don’t get fed.

So to any young person reading this, take every opportunity. Speak in rooms even when you feel underqualified. Your voice, your opinions and your experience matter. And even the smallest contribution can lead to big change.