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GOVERNANCE

Generation Change is a UK charity and an independent partnership of 17 specialist youth social action organisations. We are not an umbrella organisation, and do not seek to facilitate exhaustive representation of our sector. Instead we are a collaborative, sector-based network that can champion high quality youth social action, and foster widespread take up of strategic work in areas aligned with our Vision and Mission.

For that reason, our Forum Membership will only consist of national youth social action organisations that deliver opportunities to young people in the UK, and key strategic partners that operate at a national or international level. We will also build a network of other youth social action organisations that agree with our vision and mission, and join our movement as Partners. Both types of membership are specified in our criteria to the right.

Forum Member organisations provide a single representative who is either a Chief Executive or a senior Director with executive authority able to make decisions on behalf of their organisation. Member representatives meet regularly in forum meetings and contribute to strategic decisions. In addition to this, Members approve the strategy for Generation Change and appoint a rotational management group to provide executive direction for hired staff members.

Members pay an annual fee to cover the costs of a small secretariat.

Other organisations and experts may be associated with Generation Change as Partners. Both Partners and Forum Members sign up to our Charter of Commitments which demonstrates their shared commitment to work towards our vision. 


Definition

We define youth social action as;
 
 Young people undertaking practical activities in the service of others that A) benefits society by addressing a social need, and B) benefits the individual involved by developing their skills, understanding and opportunities.

 
  

Quality Principles

Youth social action should be: 

Challenging: stretching and engaging as well as exciting and enjoyable. 

Youth-led: led, owned and shaped by young people. 

Socially Impactful: creating positive social change that is of benefit to the wider community as well as to the young people themselves. 

Progressive: progressing to other programmes and activities. 

Embedded: becoming the norm in a young person’s journey towards adulthood and a habit for life. 

Reflective: valuing reflection, recognition and reward. 
Member organisations are either a national organisation that directly supports, encourages or challenges young people aged 10 – 25 to undertake youth social action as specified by our definition and quality principles;

or

An organisation with unique specialism in the field of youth social action, that undertakes activities directly focused on expanding the quality, impact or availability of youth social action opportunities.

Members must represent or have executive authority within the organisation at a CEO or Director level.

Members pay an annual fee to cover the costs of a small Secretariat.

pARTNERS

Generation Change also welcomes partner organisations that fully support our mission and that want to participate in delivering our objectives across the UK. Partners will receive our newsletter, be invited to contribute to Generation Change projects and initiatives in relevant working groups, and feed into research such as our social action map that seeks to compile data about the sector. We will also keep Partner organisations informed of news and developments, and host events that offer opportunities to work with other member organisations. 
 
  Partners will have their logo featured on our website, and will have their programmes featured on our Youth Social Action Map.  

board

Forum Members appoint a board of trustees on a three-year rotation to oversee the daily operations of the Secretariat and to ensure the organisation meets its goals. 

Generation Change will maintain a small Secretariat to coordinate the National Forum meetings and our working areas. The Secretariat is led by the Management Committee on a daily basis, and hosted by the Co-Chairs’ organisations.

    Contact Us
Our team tends to migrate between our member offices but are otherwise based at City Year London:

A: 58 - 62 White Lion Street, N1 9PP
E: [email protected]
T: 0207 014 2680