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Hello, I’m Mezab and I want to tell you about my journey becoming a new Young Advisor! 

The idea 

I decided to apply for the role of the Young Advisor after my mum mentioned it to me. While I had never heard of Sheffield Futures before, I read into the programme and quickly learned about their work. I was just amazed to read about what they do and see just how huge of an impact it has on young people’s lives! I couldn’t believe that I’d only just heard about it. 

The process 

During the recruitment process, I honestly felt very nervous – it’s one thing to have lots of ideas but another to actually express them to a group of people! During the process I met a bunch of other applicants, and we participated in icebreakers which I really liked as it took away some of the pressure. 

We all had an opportunity to present an answer to a question we had prepared for in advance: “What are the issues affecting young people and what changes would you like to see?”. This was a difficult question to prepare an answer for as there are just so many issues that affect young people today, but it was good as it made me think about the issues I feel most strongly about. Hearing the other answers was the best part because I could see the diversity among us all. Listening to other people’s viewpoints made it clear that we were all so passionate about the subject. 

The team 

When I attended my first YA meeting, I felt so included and welcomed, which is why I value my team so much. From my experience so far, I’ve seen that the Young Advisor’s true aim is to always get the best for – and do best by – the young people, thinking of them first and foremost. Discovering this was really the moment where I was like, “This is for me!”. A chance to work with like-minded and passionate people who really want to give back. The team have become like a safety net for me as I can always rely on every single one of them to support me in whatever I do. 

The work 

While I am quite a new addition to the team, I have quickly come to love that we can be creative and have fun when making projects, and I get to work on projects I am truly passionate about! I have always been someone who feels passionate about community action and creating fun activities for young people. 

In that first meeting, I got to hear about the plans that were currently in progress and the ones coming up. I’m particularly interested in the plans for the Moon Club Project and Period Education Project. These projects are primarily aimed at educating, but also aim to create a safe space for anyone who wants it. They stood out to me because, as a young woman myself, I know how difficult it is to educate yourself and fully understand periods. Another project that stood out was the ‘Let’s Talk’ education project. I think that this is important because usually the things people need to talk about are hard and awkward to actually talk about. 

The future 

I’m looking forward to being a part of all these upcoming projects, and there are so many more projects I’m excited about for the future! One example being the Green Spaces Project where we hope to see young people having their own green space and over time being able to build it up, all while meeting other young people. 

I haven’t been here long, but I can already see a lot of great stuff in store for the future!

Keep up to date with our progress by following along on Instagram and LinkedIn.