Introduction

Moss side Millenium Powerhouse based in Greater Manchester delivers youth services for local young people and hosts local businesses that support and uplift the community. As part of its commitment to youth voice, the organisation wanted to strengthen the involvement of young people in governance and strategic decision‑making, ensuring that the charity reflects the voices and lived experiences of those it exists to serve.

Central Support Offer – Identifying the Need

Moss side Millenium Powerhouse had already established a group of ‘youth champions’ and initially wanted support to embed them more meaningfully in strategic decision‑making, including enabling two young people to join the Board of Trustees. However, significant staffing challenges and organisational instability delayed progress. Trustees agreed they were not ready to bring young people onto the board during this period, but still recognised the importance of developing structures that empower young people’s voices and prepare the organisation for future governance involvement.

Support Provided

Through the YIF Central Support Offer, PG Collective worked with Moss side Millenium Powerhouse to adapt the support in response to changing circumstances, shifting the focus toward empowering the youth champions and strengthening the systems around them.

PG Collective is a values‑led consultancy supporting charities, community organisations and social purpose ventures through periods of transition and change. They specialise in governance, organisational development and strategy, offering practical, plain‑English support that helps organisations embed participation and stay rooted in their values, even during periods of instability.

PG Collective delivered an initial session with the youth champions, which highlighted the need for additional support for youth workers to better platform youth voice. In response, the support evolved to include:

  • Reviewing the youth centre’s community agreements with young people and youth workers
  • Exploring and clarifying the organisation’s code of conduct
  • Developing clear terms of reference for the youth champions group
  • Identifying practical ways for youth champions to feed into strategic decision‑making
  • Demystifying governance roles and structures for young people

Alongside this, PG Collective delivered training for youth workers on active listening, communication and consistency, and offered strategic recommendations linked to organisational structure. Insights gathered from young people and staff were shared with the CEO and senior management team to inform decision‑making.

One key outcome was a new agreement that, while young people would not join the board at this stage, two youth champions and one youth worker would attend and present at the first 15 minutes of each board meeting. Trustees were also encouraged to engage more directly with youth champions outside formal meetings.

The Result and Impact

The organisation now has clearer, more realistic pathways for youth voice to influence decision‑making during a period of instability. Youth champions have greater clarity about how and where they can contribute, and trustees have more structured opportunities to hear directly from young people.

Additional Impacts

The work highlighted the importance of:

  • Staff support and care as enablers of youth voice
  • Clear roles, responsibilities and escalation processes
  • Visibility and recognition of youth champions within the organisation

These insights are shaping future thinking about governance and youth participation once organisational stability improves.

For media enquiries contact:
press@sibgroup.org.uk