The week commencing 10th March marks Welcome to Your Vote Week 2025, a key moment to engage young people in democracy.
Back in November, the Youth Voice Network came together to plan activities to promote the event. Among the most ambitious ideas were a graffiti project and a podcast – and we made them happen!
While we couldn’t find a public wall to paint, we teamed up with a graffiti artist and, in February, met at The Boiler House in Cardiff to bring our vision to life. After much discussion, we decided on the slogan: “My Voice, My Vote.” The completed graffiti boards will now be displayed at events across Wales to spark conversations about democracy.
Alongside this, we worked on a podcast, holding several planning sessions with Digi Cymru to refine themes and gain technical advice. With roles assigned and topics decided, we recorded episodes in both English and Welsh. After editing, the final versions are now available here:
Spotify: Podcast - Get Informed and Get Involved
Acast: Youth Voice Network for Wales - Hosted by Russell Baker
KS commented:
Being involved in this podcast allowed me to talk about both the positives and the struggles of social media, but more importantly, it gave me a chance to highlight why youth voice is essential in politics. Even though social media can be challenging, it’s still one of the best ways we can express ourselves, organize, and push for the changes we want to see. Whether it’s through protests, petitions, or simply starting conversations, we deserve to be part of the political process. Our opinions matter, and our voices should never be ignored.
For me, this podcast was more than just talking about social media. It was about realising the power we have as young people when we speak up whether it’s online, at the ballot box, or in our communities. The future of democracy depends on our generation, and I’m proud to be part of a space where we can share our thoughts and inspire others to do the same.
And EB added:
Over the last few months we’ve been working to bring attention to politics and voting - this is something I am extremely passionate about as a young person and member of Welsh youth parliament, I see a lot of young people apathetic or disinterested in politics. I think this has been a great opportunity to get our voices out there and to try and reach young people in an engaging way- it is of the utmost importance that we reach out to young people and encourage them to have their opinions heard, to be able to make a difference and to have their say.
The young people involved in these projects are rightly proud of their efforts and the impact of their work. To build on this, they were invited to a Roundtable Discussion Event at the Pier Head Building in Cardiff Bay on 12th March. There, they had the opportunity to share their ideas and present their views directly to decision-makers, including Sioned Williams MS and Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government.