Growing with The Green Team
Many Youth Panel members first came to Green Team as participants. As their confidence and experience grow, some progress into volunteering, leadership and helping to shape the organisation itself.
Gregor’s journey is a great example:
“I was originally involved as a participant in Green Volunteers and summer residentials and I’m now one of the adult volunteers, supporting others to get involved.”
For another young person, joining the Panel represented a significant step.
After struggling at school, being diagnosed as autistic and later being home educated, Joseph joined Green Volunteers – his first group activity after 18 months out of school.
Joseph’s knowledge and passion for nature were recognised and valued and, as his confidence grew, he was invited to join the Youth Panel.
Joseph’s mum remembers:
“The morning I dropped him off at the Youth Panel, he walked into the Risk Factory with a spring in his step: another real turning point.”
These journeys won’t look the same for everyone. What matters is creating opportunities for young people to discover their strengths and then build on them.
Young people influencing Green Team
Over the years, our Youth Panel has helped shape our strategy, programmes, website, social media, films, fundraising, diversity and inclusion work and environmental priorities. Members have contributed to carbon-footprint discussions and the purchase of electric vehicles, explored Green-to-Blue activities, represented Green Team at events and presentations, and taken part in external consultations and focus groups.
One young person describes what that feels like:
“I have always felt that the thoughts and opinions of the young people are listened to and respected. Their ideas are taken seriously and it is great to feel like we can actually make a difference.”
From ideas to action
The Youth Panel played a critical role in developing our 2025–30 Strategy, telling us what was working, what was missing, what we should do more of and where Green Team could make the greatest difference.
Young people highlighted the need to reach those facing greater barriers and create more opportunities for older young people, including those who don’t thrive within conventional education:
“There are fewer opportunities for young people 16+ who have left school early with few qualifications.”
Youth Panel ideas are visible in what Green Team does today.
Green Leaders developed from young people’s desire for opportunities to progress beyond our younger programmes and take on greater responsibility.
And at the end of 2025, we launched NeuroSpicy, specifically in response to a request from young people on our Youth Panel for provision designed around neurodivergent young people.
It’s a simple principle:
young people experience Green Team → tell us what’s working or missing → we listen → things change.