Whizz Kidz Youth Board – giving wheelchair users an opportunity to create change & shape futures
Introducing Poppy - one of the Youth Board Members
The Whizz Kidz Youth Board are a group of young people aged 16-25, with members for many different areas around the UK. They meet up several times a year in order to pass information & advice directly from children and young people straight onto the charity.
This informs the discussions, decisions and support that are so crucial to both the charity’s work and the lives of disabled young people.
Their manifesto includes the four key areas of employment, education, travel and accessibility. Being part of the Youth Board at Whizz Kidz is for a period of 2 years. This means that lots of wheelchair users get regular opportunities to voice the different subjects and areas that matter to them, accelerating change & growing the platform and media presence for the disabled community. It gives new perspectives, ideas and solutions to the complex issues that disabled people face every day.
The Youth Board has recently welcomed Poppy. Despite disruptions to her life and education, she is passionate about accessibility and has learnt how to make decisions effectively.
[GF1]link to Amber’s blog
Leading change & raising awareness
Poppy has been a wheelchair user since early childhood. She describes it as a journey that has had its challenges but is normal overall.
She wants to raise awareness of the importance of accessibility in everyday life, and hopes to be involved in campaigns or projects around marketing, businesses, and transport. Put simply, she wants to achieve changes that she can look back on and know she played a part in making that change.
She also says that leading change can be difficult and challenging, but rewarding. One way she likes to lead change is by saying when she hasn’t had a good experience, and when something isn’t as accessible as it could be. It takes confidence and courage but equally, it can be rewarding.
Inspiration & inclusivity
Poppy says she was inspired to join the Youth Board as it would allow her to make other friends who are wheelchair users. Being the only wheelchair user can be a lonely experience. For Poppy, the Youth Board meant that she felt like she was finally a part of something.
“I first heard about Whizz Kidz years ago, in my childhood. What stood out to me was the ability for the individual to decide what worked, or what didn’t work for them. For the individual to have choice.”
Being confident
Poppy has some inspiring words for young wheelchair users who are interested in our Youth Board.
“I would say to just go for it. The experiences I have had so far from Youth Board have been invaluable. I am more confident than I was previously, I have been a part of and done things I haven’t done before, and that is because of Youth Board.”
Do you have a story to share with Whizz Kidz, an idea for partnerships, or do you simply want to get in touch? If so, please email kidzboard@whizz-kidz.org.uk.
On the main Youth Board page, you can find a PDF which contains more details about the group and how to apply: Youth Board | Whizz Kidz. Just click on “Find out more”.
Equally, if you want to try a similar & more flexible role, you can get involved with the Whizz Kidz Collective, a social group for young wheelchair users. View that webpage here – Whizz Kidz Collective | Whizz Kidz
by Gemma Foord, Comms volunteer