Young people from Liverpool join nationwide youth and democracy network

Young people from Liverpool have joined the first workshop of a new nationwide youth network to re-imagine the future of democracy.

Four young people representing Vibe UK have joined over 30 of their peers from across the UK to work with the Windsor-based education charity Cumberland Lodge as part of its flagship Youth & Democracy project.

Over the course of the weekend (8-10 November), the attendees aged 15-20 enjoyed sessions run by the charity as well as guest organisations including USA-based Braver Angels, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

They have all previously attended focus groups run by the charity in regions across the country, including Liverpool, Belfast, Birmingham, Cornwall, and Edinburgh.

Their conversations inform a new report from Cumberland Lodge, Rising Voices: Youth Perspectives on Political Engagement, published this week, which makes recommendations for how to increase young people’s political participation.

The Youth & Democracy network is designed to build young people’s confidence in critical thinking, community engagement, and communication skills, and to enable them to connect with peers from different regions.

Our aim is for young people to be able to take the skills they develop back into their communities, to engage in democratic practices and promote political participation.

Rebecca Seeley, Youth Worker with Vibe UK, said of the workshop:

“I think they really enjoyed it and they found it very beneficial. Before it started, they were a bit nervous, but now they've got skills they were never expecting. I hope that they can take away that they can do anything. Even starting small, small is not bad, it will grow.”

Munny Purba, Programme Officer at Cumberland Lodge and author of the Rising Voices report, said:

“Including young voices in conversations about democracy is essential. They bring fresh perspectives and a deep understanding of the issues facing their communities, yet are too often left out of these discussions.

By equipping young people with a toolkit of skills in constructive dialogue, critical thinking, and community engagement, we hope they can adapt these tools to fit their unique contexts.

This approach goes beyond political engagement; it’s about nurturing a generation that values empathy, resilience, and collaboration in the face of complex social challenges in an increasingly polarised world.”

A copy of the report can be downloaded here: Rising Voices: Youth Perspectives on Political Engagement - Report - Cumberland Lodge

Cumberland Lodge is an educational charity and social enterprise that exists to empower young people to lead the conversation around social division, providing them with the skills, perspective and confidence to question, challenge and understand some of the most complex social issues of our time.