We believe that creating a culture where young people’s opinions and contributions are recognised, valued and acted upon is vital to ensure equity for future generations.

At CSE, our Youth Advisory Board supports us to make decisions informed by youth lived experience, helping us better connect with and inspire young people in our work. Made up of a committed group of 18-25 year olds, the board meets quarterly to discuss the design and delivery of our Future Generations projects.

As the generation who will bear the impact of today’s decisions about our energy system, it’s crucial that we also embed young voices into our wider work. As well as being involved in our youth projects, the Youth Advisory Board can also be incorporated into other activity across CSE. Project managers can call upon the board’s wide-ranging experience and expertise when planning or delivering their projects, creating meaningful opportunities for young people to influence the work happening right across our organisation. 

Get in touch if you’d like to explore how the Youth Advisory Board could support your work. 

Bright Green Future

Members of the Youth Advisory Board first connected with us via participating in Bright Green Future (BGF), our environmental leadership programme for 16-19 year olds. Bright Green Future helps young people to develop leadership skills, provides opportunities for their future career in the environmental sector and builds their professional networks. Find out more about BGF. 

Bright Green Future and the Youth Advisory Board are both made possible with support from The Blagrave Trust.

Meet the Youth Advisory Board …

Grace

Grace first became part of BGF as a 2023 participant. Since then, she’s supported programme delivery as an alumni coordinator and mentor. Her involvement in the programme has ranged from facilitating webinars and residentials to strengthening alumni engagement through events, communications and social media. She’s also a national project winner of the Woodland Trust’s Igniting Innovation programme, leading a £6,000 education project focused on woodland biodiversity.  

Toni

After graduating from our BGF programme, Toni has continued to support the programme as an alumni mentor, guiding young people through BGF and offering one-to-one support as they develop their sustainability projects. She’s also been an Environmental Grant Assessor with the Linnean Society of London, reviewing youth-led applications for local nature initiatives.

Muhammed

Muhammed is involved in a wide range of leadership and advisory programmes across charitable investment, horticulture and careers education. He sits on the youth boards of Kew Gardens, the National Children’s Bureau, the Careers and Enterprise Company, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, and the Tree Council. He also spent two years as a Young Ranger in the Yorkshire Dales building hands-on experience in environmental stewardship and nature-based learning. 

Chelsea

Chelsea works as BGF’s alumni coordinator, supporting BGF’s large alumni network with opportunities as they embark on their careers. With a background in employment law and policy, she is interested in improving youth pathways into fair and meaningful work. She also sits on the youth boards of RSPB and Groundwork UK and has experience working in the Civil Service supporting the justice system.  

Gemma

Gemma has been involved with BGF for several years and now returns as a Youth Advisory Board member. She’s a Climate Action Plan Coordinator with SOS-UK, supporting secondary schools to develop student-led climate action plans. As a Psychology Research Assistant and Student Ambassador at the University of York, she’s experienced in creating supportive, accessible spaces for young people to explore complex social and environmental issues. 

Aya

Aya has extensive experience in ensuring young people have meaningful influence in policy, education and community spaces. She’s currently the Social Class and Mobility Officer at UCL Students’ Union and has previously served as a Member of UK Youth Parliament for Camden and a member of Camden Youth Council. She is Head of Social Media at EquityEd, a freelance video editor with The Muslim Vote, and co-founder of the grassroots initiative Sisters 4 Sudan. 

Mia

Mia is the Youth Advisor for our First Time Bill Payers project, which supports young people who are new to paying energy bills. She draws from her work as an Energy Advisor at Reading Students’ Union to bring insight to our research on energy literacy, fuel poverty and the challenges young people face when moving out for the first time. She’s also a Communications Intern with AirGradient, contributing to digital content and community outreach.