JustBeingCP

I am saddened to learn that the NHS England Youth Forum will no longer be delivered by the British Youth Council (BYC).

I became a member of the forum in July 2018 and attended my first meeting at PGL Liddington in Swindon short time later.

I remember being in awe of my fellow forum members as we told our individual stories to the group as we introduced ourselves on the first day that we were together.

My abiding memory of that residential was hurtling down a zip wire with no control of what my body was doing for the minute or so that I was on the journey.

I am glad that Kath Evans (A member of NHS England staff at the time) convinced me to give the zip wire a go because I think it is fair to say that I was petrified of how fast I would be going.

I applied to be a member of the forum because I have a passion for mental health and ensuring that those with disabilities are heard at the same time as there able-bodied peers.

The youth forum enabled me to ensure that young people living with disabilities and other health conditions across Herefordshire were heard at the very highest level of our National Health Service (NHS).

I attended one of Wye Valley NHS Trust’s ” Voice of the Child” meeting’s to hear the views of young people accessing health care in the county on a long term basis whilst in my role with the youth forum.

I attended a second residential with the forum at Woodrow High House in Amersham, Buckinghamshire which gave us an opportunity as a forum to continue our awesome work on behalf of the children and young people, living across England.

My third and final meeting with the forum was at a hotel in the centre of Leeds and I saw this as another incredible opportunity to get Herefordshire’s children and young people heard at the top table.

I loved my time on the forum because it gave the chance to have my voice heard at national level when it comes to all things health on behalf of the most important people living within our society.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind all children and young people that it is okay, not to be okay and they can speak up if they feel able to do so because they are struggling with there mental health.

I would like to thank the whole team at the British Youth Council who made the NHS England Youth Forum possible during there time leading it, you will never truly understand the difference you made to our lives as members of the forum.

I realise that this is a quite a short blog but I wanted to celebrate the work of the NHS England youth forum whilst it was delivered expertly by the incredible team at the BYC over the last 9 years.

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I would like to end in my normal way by paying tribute to all those who take the time out of your busy schedules each week to read my blogs.

Cam