From the very beginning, the design of Mission 44’s Youth Empowerment Programme (which will be launching later this year!) asked an ambitious question: what does it actually look like when young people are trusted to shape a programme from the ground up? The answer, as we’ve learned together, is complex, sometimes uncomfortable, but ultimately deeply valuable.

When voice becomes influence

One of our strongest reflections from this process has been how consistently our voices have mattered – not just at a single moment, but across the entire journey.

As one member put it: “In the Youth Empowerment Programme I don’t think I could pick one moment – I feel like my voice is valued and has impacted the programme throughout the journey.”

These moments mattered because they weren’t symbolic – our ideas directly informed decisions, timelines and design choices.

Rethinking power together

A key theme that surfaced repeatedly was power and how differently we all understand it.

One member reflected on how early discussions revealed that even within our group, assumptions about power varied widely: “It wasn’t until one of us asked how we were defining power that it was clear we were all working from very different bases.”

Another member captured this practically: “One thing I understand about power that I didn’t before is that power is many different things. Power can be money, power can be decision-making and actually understanding how different people see power allows us all to make better decisions.”

Together, these reflections helped ground conversations about power in lived experience, not theory, and made it possible for us to name, question and navigate power dynamics as they emerged.

The myth of the “blank slate”

One of the biggest surprises from the co-design process was discovering that more freedom doesn’t always mean more clarity.

We pushed rightly to be involved earlier and more deeply in the design of the programme, initially without Mission 44 staff members present in the room. That ambition resulted in something rare: a true blank slate. But that openness brought its own challenges.

Designing something from nothing, while balancing different capacities, time commitments and ways of contributing, proved difficult. While independence was empowering, it was also crucial to have Mission 44 staff members present to offer necessary structure, context and advice.

This support helped create the conditions for us all to feel confident and resourced enough to guide the work ourselves. This learning highlighted a central principle of co-design: the importance of shared understanding across all stakeholders on how decisions are made, where boundaries sit, and how power is exercised.

Learning how organisations actually work

Across sessions with Mission 44, TSIP and HUDL, we were also able to learn about systems, language, and ways of working some of us hadn’t encountered before.

“There is so much I don’t know! Each session I am informed of a new way of thinking, system or way of working that I haven’t used before. It is incredibly interesting to find out all of this new info.” – Youth Advisory Board member

This learning flowed both ways. We deepened our understanding of organisational realities, while Mission 44 was challenged to slow down, explain assumptions, and rethink how decisions are made.

Advice for the next generation

When thinking about the next group of young people stepping into a space like this, our message is clear and consistent:

• Have a plan early for how decisions will be made.
• “Understand the systems you’re stepping into.”
• “Put frameworks in place so momentum doesn’t stall.”
• Have confidence in sharing your opinion because you never know how it might add to the conversation.

Similarly, our advice for organisations is explicit: co-design works best when creativity is supported by clarity. Setting clear parameters, boundaries and red lines is not about limiting youth voice but about enabling meaningful participation, shared accountability and trust.

What comes next: sharing the learning

As this chapter of our journey comes to a close, we’re not treating these learnings as something to file away. Instead, we’re excited to announce the next step: developing a co-design and power-shifting playbook for both the sector and young people.

This playbook will capture what we’ve learned in practice: the tensions, the tools, the mistakes and the breakthroughs, so others don’t have to start from scratch. It will be shaped by our reflections and designed to be practical, honest, and usable.

Shifting power isn’t about getting it “right” the first time. It’s about learning in public, staying accountable, and continuing to build spaces where young people’s voices don’t just get heard, they shape what comes next.

Youth Advisory Board,
Mission 44

Mission 44’s Youth Empowerment Programme, co-developed alongside our Youth Advisors, HUDL Development Agency and The Social Innovation Partnership, is a youth-led philanthropy initiative rooted in intergenerational collaboration and shared decision-making. More details on the programme later in the year.