Give us a Chancellor

Young people's plea to policymakers

In 2021, members of Young NCB issued their own pleas to policymakers, making the case for investment in the areas of their life that are vital to growing up with a bright future.

In a series of videos and blogs, they highlighted how prioritising mental health, youth services, education and support for SEND, could make all the difference to a generation already disadvantaged by the pandemic.

Other videos in this series include:

• Zach, aged 22, speaking about the importance of youth services in supporting young lives.
• Karl, aged 26, calling for better support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Louise, aged 19, highlighting the need for mental health services to be given equal importance to physical health services.

Speaking to Government officials can be a daunting yet rewarding experience, as young people point out in blogs detailing their work with policymakers:

• Sometimes decision makers do care: be courageous - by Rose aged 21.
• Ecstatic experience speaking with UK Government Treasury - by Pavan aged 16.

Give us A Chancellor

Last year, NCB brought people and organisations together to ask the Chancellor to listen to children and young people and take action to protect their future. 

Our analysis of the spending review outlined on 25 November shows that the approach is still too piecemeal to deliver a better childhood for the UK’s children.

While the Treasury has made much needed spending commitments in some areas, there have been major omissions in others: 

• No commitments to counteract rising child poverty.
• No support to make babies and young children a priority.
• Not enough to protect young people’s mental health.
• No solution to the sustained crisis in children’s social care.

On 14 December, children, young people and parents joined an online meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children to discuss these issues directly with 20 Parliamentarians including Treasury officials and advisers from the No.10 policy unit.

You can continue to support our campaign by calling on the Government to #GIveUsAChancellor who is prepared to fund a new vision of childhood. 

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