"It’s time to set a new norm. Young people must have a seat at the table when decisions are made about the systems that shape their lives." - Farzana, Youth Consultant, Big Change

At Big Change, we believe that to build a future where all young people thrive, we must work with young people, not just for them. But how can we do this in ways that acknowledge power dynamics, avoid tokenism, and truly value the insights young people bring? 

These are the questions we explored with fifteen social impact organisations in a recent workshop on intergenerational collaboration, co-hosted by Big Change, Youth Leads UK and the Westminster Foundation. At a time when two in five young people (40%) say they don’t feel in control of their future, it’s more important than ever that we find ways to share power with young people, listen to them deeply, and work across generations to shape better systems together.

This blog is for anyone working to meaningfully involve young people in their work -  whether through youth boards, young trusteeships, participatory grantmaking or other forms of collaboration. We hope it offers encouragement, practical ideas, and inspiration from others who are navigating this journey too.

The term intergenerational collaboration can be described as an intentional approach that brings people from different generations together to tackle the complex challenges young people face. This may look different in different organisations and may evolve based on the needs and aspirations of the groups involved. 

“Young people are at the centre of everything we do. At Bite Back, it’s young people that set the priorities while older generations act as enablers,” said Sara Diard, Youth & Leadership Manager at Bite Back. 

When working intergenerationally, it’s important to recognise that each generation has a role, and real change happens when we recognise and value those roles. 

1. Young people need to be engaged as partners
Youth focussed charities have a duty to engage young people not just as beneficiaries, but as key stakeholders. Involving young people in this way leads to better outcomes, as we’re more likely to design and deliver outcomes that meet their needs. 

Emma Redfern, Founder of Studio Self Made, consulted young people as she developed her programme to support people starting freelance careers in the creative industry. She learned that it is a misconception to assume young people prefer online rather than in person support. By designing her programme alongside young people, she was able to build in the connection, tailored guidance, and peer support they valued, resulting in a more relevant and impactful experience.

The role young people are invited to play - whether as advisors, co-creators, or decision-makers - should be matched by the depth of their involvement and the decision-making power they hold. It’s not enough to simply have young people in the room or ask for their ideas. Their views and ideas must be taken seriously and acted on. Without follow-through, even well-intentioned involvement can feel tokenistic or deflating - which can quickly lead to lack of interest or engagement. Meaningful collaboration requires clarity of roles, well-defined objectives, and a shared understanding of how decisions will be shaped together.

2. Be clear on the ‘why’
Intergenerational collaboration shouldn’t be a box-ticking exercise or a trend to follow.  It needs to be rooted in your organisation’s purpose and aligned with your overarching strategy. Without that clarity, efforts can easily become superficial, and young people are quick to spot when something feels hollow! Young people are far more likely to engage meaningfully, and stay engaged, when they see that your goals genuinely reflect their priorities and principles. Aligning with what matters to them is key to building trust and sustaining their involvement over time.

Intergenerational collaboration looks different across communities, shaped by factors like race, class, power dynamics, and lived experience. We must acknowledge these nuances and design our approaches accordingly. What works in one space may feel exclusionary or ineffective in another. 

Deep listening and responsiveness to context are essential to building trust and ensuring the work is truly inclusive. For example, at Rekindle, the team and the Youth Pioneers do the groundwork to deeply understand the local community context before launching initiatives in a new location.

3. Protecting and preparing young people
When involving young people in spaces like governance, campaigning, or engaging them as consultants or advisors, we must ensure that the appropriate support structures, training and safeguards are in place to set them up for success.

Young people are driving urgent calls for change - on climate, mental health, food systems, and beyond - and rightly so. They’re bringing energy, insight and ambition to some of the most complex challenges we face. At the same time, we know that meaningful change can be slow, and that progress often happens in incremental steps.

That’s why it’s important to be clear about what’s possible within the scope of a given project or campaign - not to limit ambition, but to build trust and shared understanding of the outcomes you’re working towards. When everyone is aligned on what success looks like, even small steps forward feel meaningful, and celebrating those moments helps sustain energy and momentum over the long term.

4. It’s a journey, not a destination
As practitioners working with young people, we’re committed to centering their voices, and doing it well. But when things don’t go as planned - organisational priorities shift, funding falls short, or timelines change - it’s important not to get stuck in guilt or discomfort, but rather, centre the young people involved.

"Make sure the young people you’re working with understand that plans may evolve - especially if challenges arise - but reassure them that you’ll always be committed to addressing any issues together," said Farzana Begum, Youth Consultant at Big Change. 

Young people value honesty and transparency. Keep them in the loop when circumstances change, and give them the option to decide whether they want to continue being involved. If the direction of the work no longer aligns with their priorities, stepping away should be an active choice.

 “We’re all learning. Progress is more important than perfection,” said Jaiden, Advisor at Big Change. Especially when an organisation is just starting to involve young people, much of it is about figuring things out as you go.. Be open about that. Let young people know they’re helping to shape the process, and lean into building something together, even if it’s still unfolding.

“Involving young people won’t always lead to a radically different perspective. Sometimes, it will reaffirm what you’re already doing - and that’s a valuable outcome too,” said Kimberly Garande, Youth Voice Advisor at the Westminster Foundation. 

What’s Next?
Having space to think deeply and critically about what meaningful intergenerational collaboration looks like, and what it means to us, was something we all valued. We left the workshop energised by the honesty, ideas, and the sense of possibility. Shifting power within our own organisations reflects the wider change we want to see in society, one where all voices are heard, and everyone is supported to thrive. 

“It was great to have this space to share knowledge across a broad range of organisations and know that we’re not alone in our journey of engaging young people," a participant shared in their feedback.

This is an open invitation to reflect on your own practice: What’s working? What feels stuck? Who could you learn alongside? Whether this is a new way of working for your organisation, or well established practice - finding peers to reflect with can help you problem solve, inspire creative new approaches. 

Here are some resources shared by our facilitators to support you on your journey.

• The Westminster Foundation has developed practical guides to help charities adopt best practices for amplifying young people’s voices.
• The Young Trustee Movement offers valuable resources to help organisations recruit young trustees.
• Fair Education Alliance has a range of resources and case studies for effective young engagement on their website.
• Youth Leads UK case study about the Big Education Conversation Project Council. Pages 17 and 18 highlight key lessons learnt.

And if you're exploring intergenerational collaboration in your own work, we’d love to hear what you're learning. Reach out to us on info@big-change.org or share your story on your socials and tag us on LinkedIn or Instagram.