Today not tomorrow – youth citizens assemblies programme
Case study overview
Today Not Tomorrow is a youth-led participation programme that puts young people’s experiences at the heart of local decision-making in Newham. Through creative Youth Citizens Assemblies, young people explore issues that matter to them, develop ideas for change and share those ideas directly with decision-makers. The programme involves young people with different levels of experience, including those who have not previously taken part in civic engagement. It was created after young people said they did not feel listened to and that too many decisions were being made without their voices being heard. Its aim is to ensure that services, policies and local priorities are shaped by the young people they affect.
How it worked
Today Not Tomorrow has run every term for six years, with more than 1,900 young people taking part.
Each Youth Citizens Assembly is created by a group of young producers, who design an event for their peers. The team tests ideas in youth settings, using young people’s feedback to develop the activities.
Each term ends with a borough-wide event where young people explore an issue and work together on possible solutions. Activities have included an escape room,, choose-your-own-adventure challenges featuring penalty shoot-outs, and physical and virtual world-building.
Impact
Post event feedback surveys show that taking part helps young people develop empathy, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills. It also builds the confidence and resilience they need to act on issues they care about. For example, young people’s average rating for “respect other points of view even if I disagree” rose from 3.6 to 4.2 out of 5, while “take responsibility for my actions” rose from 3.4 to 4.0.
Young people who designed and delivered the politics-focused Take Control and Make It Count events developed a better understanding of politics and political language. They also gained experience of planning events and became more confident asking questions and expressing their views.
Participants said the experience helped them realise that “young people my age care about politics”. Others wanted to become “more educated around politics” and better understand “the purpose of elections”.
The assemblies have also influenced local decisions. Recommendations from the Sound and Safe assembly directly informed Newham Council’s Youth Safety Strategy. Young people then worked with senior council leaders to agree how services would act on their recommendations.
Key strengths
Any young person who cares about an issue can participate. They do not need to stand for election, campaign for votes or gain majority support before they can contribute. That means that a greater range of young people feel able to get involved.
Participation is voluntary and rooted in young people’s lived experiences. Trusted youth workers create safe, inclusive spaces that can engage young people who may not see themselves represented in formal democratic structures.
Creative activities also provide an alternative to adversarial debate. They give young people a less pressured way to challenge ideas, understand different experiences and develop solutions together. Evaluation found that the largest improvement was in young people feeling able to respect other points of view, even when they disagreed.
Key learning
- Build programmes around youth workers who already have trusted relationships with young people.
- Keep participation flexible so young people can join at different stages.
- Use games and creative experiences to make discussion feel less pressured.
- Help young people challenge ideas constructively and work together on solutions.
- Make sure decision-makers respond to young people’s recommendations and explain what will happen next.
Further information
Read the Sound and Safe report and the Take Control report for more information about the programme and its impact.