Youth Voices was created and began in June 2021, to improve services for young people offered by Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust. Our members are young people aged 25 and under, as well as their carers. We want to make sure all young people, of all backgrounds, can share their experiences and suggest improvements as part of our work.
The work we do sits within the trust’s priorities. We focus on making sure young people’s ideas and lived experiences are heard and appreciated, so they can help make positive changes to services.
Youth Voices aims to be seen as partners with the trust and other outside organisations. It is important that Youth Voices is a supportive and safe space where members feel confident to share their thoughts and their views. It is also important to us that members feel accepted, listened to, and that any additional needs they have are supported. We make sure all documents and materials are in easy read, to make sure all members have the same opportunities to be listened to and take part.
Youth Voices’ is made up by many small participation groups of young people across the trust. A person from each of these groups then comes to our main Youth Voices meeting.
Our main meeting is once every two months online using Microsoft Teams. It is in the late afternoon as this is the time that is most accessible for our members. Outside the main meeting, our members might also be part of smaller focus groups for a certain project they are interested in. All Youth Voices members join the Trusts ‘involvement register. Once they are on this, young people will be sent a range of involvement activities within the Trust that they can take part in, as well as opportunities to be involved with outside organisations.
If you would like to join youth voices or would like to know more, please send us an email.
Meet the team
Emma - Deputy Chair, Youth Voices
Hello, I am Emma and I am the deputy chair for Youth Voices. I first joined Youth Voices when we were established in 2021, as I am passionate about ensuring young people’s voices are heard. I believe that Youth Voices is a powerful way of ensuring young people are heard across the Trust (LSCft). Additionally, using people’s experience of services is the best way of improving services, for current and future young people, and their families and friends too. I believe that co-production and participation work is the way forward with service development, and also ensuring that services provided to young people are person-centred and appropriate. Youth Voices promotes this and I am grateful that I can support this as deputy chair.
Dawn - Patient Expierence Manager
Hi, I’m Dawn Brindle, and I work within the Patient Experience team at the Trust. As an Experience Manager, my main focus is on Involvement, supporting and guiding staff across the Organisation to engage with our service users and carers in shaping, developing, and delivering our services.
One of my key projects is leading the Youth Voices initiative, which started in June 2021. This program aims to enhance the quality and scope of services provided by Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT). Our Youth Voices members include young people aged 25 and under, along with their carers, who participate in various engagement groups across the Trust.
Beyond my commitment to improving the lives of children and young people—especially those facing complex challenges—it’s a true privilege to work alongside the Chair and Deputy. As key service users, they offer valuable fresh perspectives that often lead to meaningful improvements, sometimes highlighting issues that might have been missed otherwise. I always strive to create opportunities for young people to have their voices heard throughout the organisation.
Riley - Chair, Youth Voices
Hi there! I'm Riley, the current chair of Youth Voices. My journey with mental health services began at age 13 when I was an outpatient with CAMHS. Unfortunately, my experience wasn't great, which led me to avoid seeking help again. Fast forward to 16 years old, the stress from my GCSEs led to further deterioration in my mental health. I transitioned into adult services, where I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Thankfully, I found an amazing, supportive and understanding team there. Between 17 and 20, I experienced various inpatient stays where I was sectioned under the mental health act. Although I had some really good experiences and met some great staff during these admissions, I also had some terrible experiences that I will never forget.
When I was doing better with my mental health, I realised I wanted to transform my journey and experiences into a force for positive change for young people like me. I wanted to increase the good and try to eliminate the bad experiences I had faced. That’s when I discovered Youth Voices—a place where my lived experience could truly make an impact. Since joining, I've contributed to enhancing mental health services at LSCft and supported exciting innovative projects that explore new ways to support young people, both within and outside the NHS. I've gained confidence, learned to chair meetings, shared my story at various events, and much more - all in a place that truly values what I've been through and the unique insights I have from these experiences.
Joining Youth Voices is about more than just being part of a group; it's about being part of a movement that values lived experience - whether that is good or bad or anywhere in between. It's about making sure that every young person has a voice and that their experiences can lead to real change. If you want to be part of something meaningful and help shape the future of mental health services, Youth Voices is the place to start. Your story matters, and together, we can make a difference!
