Youth Power has reconvened for another year and this year it’s all systems go. In 2026, Youth Power, the youth leadership group that guides Fight for Peace internally, welcomes a fresh set of new recruits, as well as the return of some familiar faces, and they’re leading our organisation like never before. 

With this, we sat down with 2026’s Youth Power to find out about their plans for the year ahead. Working alongside staff, Youth Power plays a fundamental role in shaping decisions and ensuring that young people’s voices are always at the heart of what we do. They sit on interview panels, advise on grants, and lead events within our Academy. 

Each Youth Power group brings their own ideas of change to the forefront; ways we can improve our Academy, our space and make Fight for Peace better for those that it serves. This year is no different. 

“I got into Youth Power as I want to make a change in my community and I believe that being around like-minded individuals can help me achieve that goal,” shared Samin, Future Light member and now leader of communications for Youth Power. 

He joins a team of four other young people who are making up the group this year, including Lavantea who’s taking the role of Inductions Leader, previous Youth Power member Temmy who’s taking on the position of Events Leader, Sahil who’s representing Competitive Athletes throughout the organisation, and Nephthys whose taken the reins as Staff Liaison.  

At the forefront of the group’s discussions were ideas to launch a new session that wasn’t specifically combat sport focused and allowed for young people to try something new, or connect with others through a shared passion outside of sport. 

Aspirations of game nights, table tennis tournaments, music evenings, painting workshops, and dance classes tumbled into conversation, demonstrating a real desire for variety, wanderlust for experience, and urge for self expression. While still deep in the planning stages, Youth Power seems steadfast in materialising this into a monthly occurrence – so keep an eye out for updates. 

Another action high on the agenda was personal development. Youth Power members debated the idea of having conversational starters laid out in our Academy hub to help with overstimulation. 

It’s true, evenings at our Academy can be extremely busy with a mixture of ages and personalities gathering in a melting pot of energy and excitement. It can be an overwhelming environment, but Youth Power’s topics of conversation will give something for young members to connect through while feeling more grounded in this space.

Alongside these more panned out plans, was a brainstorm of other ideas such as incentivising young people to come back and stay invested in Fight for Peace, educational trips to museums or opportunities to visit corporate businesses, and residential excursions. 

Alongside proposing new initiatives to improve Fight for Peace, Youth Power members have also begun contributing more to the weekly workings of our organisation.

Nephthys, one of the group’s new leaders, entered leadership with a quiet disposition but as the weeks have progressed they’ve bubbled with confidence and ownership. They now contribute with growing self-belief to the staff briefings and our internal Inclusion Working Group, grounding everyday debates in the very vision this organisation stands for – to see all young people thrive. 

‘I like that I’m taking this role because I can see there are changes to be made. Everyone’s voice should be heard, and if we can try it, we should try it, we shouldn’t wait. We want to get it done,’ Nephthys declared. 

This is why youth leadership is so powerful. It amplifies confidence and builds autonomy, fires up creativity and innovation within a team, and allows us to continue to evolve as an organisation. 

Here is where we always strive to be, where we can continue to support young people in a proactive and adaptable way, and where young people can also support one another through decisionmaking and leadership. 

Big up Youth Power – you are already making waves and we look forward to seeing what you achieve this year! Stay tuned for Youth Power’s introductions on our social media!