By engaging the UK’s newest voters, charities can breathe fresh life into campaigns, culture, and causes — and build a generation that believes in change, as Jack Maycock, associate strategy director at Shape History and Dan Lawes, co-CEO at My Life, My Say, explains.

In July, we saw a historic change to democracy in the UK. For the first time, 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in elections, giving them a meaningful say in the direction of the country and their communities.

This isn’t just a win for the youth sector, but for the third sector as a whole. Years of campaigning from a host of organisations, including tireless work from the now-dissolved British Youth Council, got us to the tipping point, with My Life My Say’s v.16 campaign finally nudging it over the line.

But just because 16-17 year olds can vote doesn’t mean they will. You only need to look at last year’s General Election to see as much: almost two-thirds of 18-24 year olds skipped the vote, citing disillusionment with politicians and the perception that their voices aren’t being heard. It stands to reason that even younger voters will feel the same.

This leaves the third sector with an opportunity. At a time when charities are losing donors and volunteers hand over fist — 1.5 million fewer of each in 2024 — it falls to our sector to get the next generation excited about making their voices heard. By bringing more young people into our causes, we can better connect them to culture, bringing in fresh perspectives and a renewed enthusiasm in social movements.

The sector’s challenge? How to engage 16 and 17-year-olds if, like their older 18+ peers, they’re disillusioned with politics and the potential to create change.

First and foremost, charities need to reach young people where they are. This means exploring spaces that may be unfamiliar – social channels like Snapchat, YouTube, and, yes, TikTok, which are now hubs for news and information-sharing. Likewise, partnering with brands that young people regularly use is a great way not just to get on their radar, but to associate yourselves with something they already perceive in a positive light.

This demands a shift in approach that many charities aren’t currently prepared for. This year’s Charity Digital Skills Report found that only 44% of charitable organisations have a digital strategy, making it incredibly difficult to communicate with the people that could be critical to a charity’s long-term survival. This is part of the explanation for only 36% of 16-24 year olds donating to charity in 2024, down a third since 2017, as highlighted in CAF’s UK Giving Report .

Even then, simply reaching them isn’t enough: we need to provide a vision they can buy into. My Life My Say’s Squad programme, for example, tasks young volunteers from all over the country with representing the charity at events, taking on speaking opportunities, and undertaking training in local campaigning – expertise they can hone as they help to run the charity’s local “Democracy Cafés”. By offering meaningful roles with decision-making power, as well as opportunities to build life skills, charities can demonstrate their genuine commitment to helping young people.

How exactly you bring them into your work can take a number of forms. My Life My Say have approached theirs one way, but it may suit you better to, say, create a youth advisory board that supports a campaign creation process. Elsewhere, you might seek to co-create content, leaning on peer-led stories to find out how to communicate your message in a way that resonates.

If there was ever a time to make young people a key part of your business strategy moving forward, it’s at this historic junction. Because not only will long-term engagement with young people help to sustain your organisation for years to come, but after years of political alienation, we can help create a generation who truly believe their voices can be heard.

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