Peer Research Group Presents at the Glasgow Youth Conference 2024

Following the successful release of their survey earlier this year, Children in Wales’ Peer Research group were invited to present their work at a Youth-led conference in Glasgow. 

The conference, which was organised by Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), aimed to bring various UK organisations to share their current projects and key pieces of work. Issues discussed this year included the results of a survey conducted by CiNI on the cost of living and also the Food Association's work on food production and sustainability. Children in Scotland’s (CiS) Change Our World (COW) group also shared the priority areas for their Advisory Boards.    

Five young members of the Peer Research Group, accompanied by Children in Wales staff, attended the event where they presented the interim report of their latest project, investigating the barriers young people face when trying to be eco-friendly. 

The group explained their research process, which began with a survey targeting children and young people with the results then being explored through focus groups. They presented their findings to date and gave an update on their ongoing thematic analysis. 

In the Q&A session following the presentation, an audience member asked what the groups’ hopes were for the findings and how they see it having influence on a political level. The group expertly explained that their biggest goal was to show that young people are not only keen to be sustainable but are aware of all the barriers facing them when trying to do more than just recycle.  

They noted how they’d like Welsh Government to learn from the research and look at how they can better support young people in being sustainable, whether it be through additional funding or more campaigns to teach them how to do more.      

When reflecting on the event, our young volunteers commented: 

• "I really enjoyed meeting different young researchers and seeing Glasgow, I think we worked really well as a team and presented our work in a unified way." 

•  "It was a great and enjoyable way to learn about a variety of subjects and share opinions with others." 

•  "It was really interesting to meet other young people across the UK and talk about the differing issues that affected them in their area." 

Beyond their presentation, the young people also participated in ice breaker activities and shared their views on various issues, ranging from free school meals to young people's mental health services. They also got to network with other young volunteers and learn about the different education and benefit systems across the nations. 

The volunteers in the Peer Research Group are excited to explore their findings further and plan to release a comprehensive report by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!