An open letter to DCMS

UPDATE:

BREAKING: New UKYP facilitator announced

An open letter to DCMS

DCMS has kept awfully quiet since BYC closed, leaving everyone affected to speculate anxiously. We know meetings are going on behind closed doors, but this doesn’t help. An opaque process combined with little to no communication has left young people in the dark and unable to have their say in what happens next.

We need a clear vision for the future of all affected programmes, and the decisions being made on our behalf should be entirely transparent to ensure accountability. If you agree, then I hope you’ll sign the open letter and support our campaign.

Have questions? Get in touch.

Ended at: 310 signatures

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Update: Response from Stuart Andrew, Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society

🚨RESPONSE RECEIVED: Stuart Andrew, Minister for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society has responded to the open letter. Breakdown and what happens next in🧵 pic.twitter.com/lqZoFaPcKN
— Hadyn Cutler MYP (@HadynCutler) March 28, 2024

You can read my full breakdown to his response and what happens next above. However, in short, I will be closing the open letter to allow myself and other campaigners to work with DCMS on this vital issue. It is clear that they are resolved to solve the problems at hand, and I do not see a reason to continue a campaign pushing them to be more transparent whilst working with them to gather and share information.

I will try to publish as many updates as I can whilst this process happens through my social media platforms. However, between now and then, my campaign will have to go quiet. I hope that you trust that we are working to aid DCMS in being more transparent with the process, and if you do have any questions or concerns, I urge you to get in touch.

From the beginning, DCMS was never the enemy. All we wanted was to work with them to get answers, not to attack them for doing a bad job. Now that this is happening, it is only right to take the step to close the open letter.

I’d like to thank everyone for the amazing support, it has gone far beyond my wildest dreams and proved that the work BYC did has touched many hearts over many years, testament to the value of youth voice and youth work. Whilst the campaign goes underground, I’d urge to to think about all the staff and volunteers affected by BYC’s sudden closure. They didn’t deserve such chaos and injustice, and our hearts do truly go out to them.

Again, thank you all for the support, and I hope I can return quickly with updates. – Hadyn

Note: I am aware there is media interest in this story. If you are a journalist, please find my media enquiries form here.

Dear Lucy Frazer MP, Stuart Andrew MP, and all whom it may concern at the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport,

We write to you as youth representation is under a greater threat than ever. The British Youth Council, the national youth council of the UK and a youth voice champion for over 75 years, has permanently shut its doors, impacting young people across the UK. This was unfortunately due to financial insolvency.

BYC has touched many lives. For many people, it’s impact will be in the form of the Youth Voice Programme, which was a flagship service that has left a great legacy. Whether it’d be the work of UK Youth Parliament on elevating free school meals to be a national issue, the Youth Select Committee producing a damning insight into how the Cost of Living crisis has impacted young people, or even just the small things that BYC’s members did in their local areas to support their community and their young people, it is clear that we cannot lose this overnight.

As well as this, such projects have had a personal impact on those who made up BYC. We know it helped many gain the confidence they needed to take up space in the world, we know that their invaluable support meant we could best push for change and for a better future for our peers and friends, and we certainly know that, now that they’re gone, a hole has been left in many lives.

From this, it is clear that the Government and DCMS have a moral duty to ensure that the Youth Voice Programme, UK Youth Parliament, and the Youth Select Committee continue without disruption or diminishment. We ask simply for your help and assistance so that we can continue our legacy of changing lives for the better.

Our questions to you are simple. What actions did the Government and DCMS take before this event to ensure the continuity of the programmes mentioned? How will the Government and DCMS attempt to mitigate the impact of this event on both existing members of the programmes and young people represented by the programmes across the UK? What are the current options being explored when it comes to the continuation of the programmes? How will young people be consulted in decisions made during this period? And finally, how will the Government and DCMS ensure the sustainability of the programmes and the nonprofits who aid them?

We ask for your support now because we have nowhere left to turn.

Yours sincerely,

Hadyn Cutler, MYP for Kent

Oliver Tomlin, Former MYP for Medway (2023 – 2024)

Liv Truelove, Former MYP for Kent (2022 – 2024)

Shreya Nivarty, MYP for Kent

Bobby Seymour, Former DMYP for Wiltshire (2022 – 2024)

Thomas Beech, MYP for Barnsley

Michael Doran, MYP for Strangford

Isobel Andrews, Former DMYP for North Lincolnshire (2022 – 2024)

Amelia Uminska, Former MYP for Leeds (2022 – 2024)

Connor Fox, Former MYP for Central North Yorkshire (2022 – 2024)

Dylan Baldock, UKYP Steering Group Member for the South East

Niamh Crisp-O’Brien, MYP for Surrey

October Smith, YCllr for Tonbridge and Malling

Alex Henning-Brodersen, YCllr for Tunbridge Wells

Samuel Finn, Former MYP for the City of Doncaster (2020 – 2024)

James Balloqui, Former MYP for Westminister (2022 – 2024)

Oscar Brooker, MYP for Manchester

Thibault Duckett, MYP for York

Christopher Johnson, MYP for Cheltenham and Tewkesbury

Anna Morton, YCllr for Cheshire East

Poppy Pacy, DMYP for East Yorkshire

Harley Bond, YCllr for Barnsley

Reggie J Dovener, Lead Digital Leader, Bedwas High School Digital Leaders

Jonathan Frisher, Youth Select Committee member

Tymek Kiliszek, Former DMYP For North Devon, West Devon and Torridge (2022 – 2024)

Keanan Bartram, Youth Work Leader, Eyres Monsell Club for Young People

Alex Crompton, MYP for Wigan and Leigh

Prem Raghvani, Former MYP for Oldham (2022 – 2024)

Amelia White, YCllr for Dartford

Emma Henderson, Events Lead, North Ayrshire Youth Council

Alishba Amir, MYP for Manchester

Charlie Simpson, MYP for Ashfield

Oliver Probert-Hill, MYP for Cheshire East

Ellie Bealing, MYP for Somerset

Lewis Doherty, MYP for Chorley and West Lancashire

Emily Louise Quinton, MYP for Bolton

Oliver Scanlan, MYP for South Ribble and Preston

Kelsey-Jo Keenan, MYP for Lancaster and Morecambe

Jayden Mills Nightingale, MYP for Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

Dhruv Chadda, MYP for North East Hampshire

Deneb Marden-Rull, MYP for Brighton and Hove

Amirah Azazy, YCllr for Bolton

Lisa Humphries, Head of Department, Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School

Isa Coyne, Chair of Blackpool Youth Council

Rodrigo Palmer, Former MYP for Stockport (2022 – 2024)

Chloe Willoughby, YCllr for Blackpool

Loralai Egan, YCllr for Blackpool

Anonymous

Ewan Carmichael, Freelance Youth and Equalities Consultant

Leah Darr, Vice-Chair of Oldham Youth Council

Arjan Dhillon, MYP for Slough

Luke Marwood, MYP for Blackpool

Safiya Sattar, MYP for Stockport

River Miller, Graphic designer for Blackpool Youth Council

Evie Armstrong, MYP for Trafford

Summer Abbott, YCllr for Blackpool

Arthur Templeman-Lilley, Founder of Future Youth Impact

Andrew Speight, Former UKYP Steering Group Member for the North West (2021 – 2024)

Anonymous

Lucy Edwards, Youth Voice position at UK Youth Parliament

Ella Kearley, Former Votes@16 Youth Action Group member (2022 – 2024)

Sammy Austen-Jones, MYP for Surrey

Anonymous

Aaliyah Ahmed, YCllr for Oldham

Anonymous

Ollie Chapman, Chair of Warwick Labour (University of Warwick Labour Society)

Kole Gjikolaj, Youth Advisor for Torbay Communities

Bobby Forbes, MYP for Cumberland

Aaron Ankrah, Trafford Youth Cabinet member

Ronny Whetton, Former MYP for Havering (2020 – 2022)

Peter Marcus, Former Secretary to the MYP and Youth Council, Portsmouth Youth Parliament

Amelie Daniels, YCllr for Stockport

Bill Curtis, #iWill Ambassador

Anonymous

Sam Smith, DMYP for the Isle of Wight

Manel Bensada, MYP for Brent

Hamaam Shire, Former MYP for Birmingham (2022 – 2024)

Remi Salavan, Former MSYP for Angus North and Mearns (2021 – 2024)

Macey Rainbow, MYP for Wyre

Anonymous

Joseph Evans, Former MYP for Teignbridge and South Hams (2022 – 2024)

Daisy Kelly, YCllr for Tunbridge Wells

Lucy Richmond, DMYP for Oldham

Oonagh Kelly, YCllr for Folkestone and Hythe

Izzy Garbutt, Former MYP for Wigan and Leigh

Adam Hussain, Former position at Oldham Youth Council

Mia Arthur, MYP for Hackney

Anna Calvert, MYP for North Yorkshire West

Abigail Tipper, MYP Chichester and West Arun

Lucy Hulme, Chair of the Votes@16 Youth Action Group

Anika Mistry, Former Youth Mayor of Bristol

Muhammad Ebadullah Malik, Former MYP for Gedling (2022 – 2023)

Yubeen Kim, Former MYP for Kingston upon Thames (2022 – 2024)

Evie Latter – DMYP for Surrey

Anonymous

Jay Chan, Deputy Chair of Royal Sutton Coldfield Young Conservatives and Birmingham Young Conservatives

James Osborne-Jackson, Former District Cllr for Leigh and Chiddingstone Causeway (2019 – 2022)

Morgan Seward, Young Advisor, Lewisham Young Mayor’s Team

Aaliyah Likuluta, Former MYP for Kent (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Georgia Robson, UKYP Steering Group Member for the North East

Sam Baker, Youth Officer, Rochester & Strood CLP

Anna Gibson, Former MYP for Cheshire West (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Eleanor Whitwam, Votes@16 Youth Action Group member

Cllr Robert King, Former MYP for High Peak and Derbyshire Dales (2010 – 2012)

Mikaeel Moulani, Chair for Cardiff Youth Council

Cameron Wood, Former member of NHS England Youth Forum (2018 – 2020)

Oliver Huermann, MYP for Hartlepool

Imogen Baker, DMYP for Cheshire West and Chester

Anastasia Odusanwo, MYP for Hammersmith and Fulham

Zak Gandhi, Former MYP for Kent (2021 – 2023)

Obed Poto-Poto, MYP for Greenwich and Woolwich

Muhammad Ammaar Nasir, MYP for Bolton

Emmanuel Jah, Youth Ambassador for the Children’s Commissioner of England

Brandon Green, Former Procedures Group Representative Yorkshire & Humber, UK Youth Parliament

Isaac Reuben, Former MYP for Barnet (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Andrew Hamilton, Former MYP for North Down (2022 – 2024)

Codie, Former MYP for South Ribble and Preston (2022 – 2024)

Kaden Pradhan, Former MYP for the City of Westminster (2022 – 2023)

Anonymous

Ben Bradley, MP for Mansfield

Phoebe Gruber, DMYP for Cheshire West and Chester

Anonymous

Zafeera Karim, MYP for Gloucester and Forest

Harley Smith, Former MYP for Salford (2020 – 2024)

Michael Lynch, Former Chair of Medway Youth Council (2021 – 2022)

Theo Taylor, Former MYP for Sheffield (2019 – 2024)

Milly Breeze, DMYP for Preston

Hanna Shepilova, MYP for Brent

Andy Whittam, Retired youth worker, Darlington Borough Council (1995 – 2020)

Joshen Kumar, YCllr for Gravesham

Ruben Kelman, WYPM for Cardiff North

Oakley Whitehead, Former YCllr for Folkestone and Hythe (2021 – 2023)

Sukhpreet Thind, MYP for Kent

Anonymous

Dee Wright, Former DMYP for Hampshire (2022 – 2024)

Will Landricombe, Chair of Llanishen High School School Council

Freddie Vokes, Youth Mayor of Gedling

Thomas Williams, MYP for Essex

Daniel Lewis, Youth Mayor for Bury

Tyler Tobin, MYP for Essex

Anayah Naz, DMYP for Oldham

Justice Manyewe, Vice-chair of Kent Youth County Council

Anonymous

Nikita Harkin, Former MYP for Foyle (2013 – 2015)

Ishaa Asim, UK Young Ambassador to the European Youth Forum

Connor Doherty, Former YCllr for Chorley (2023 – 2023)

Anonymous

Aleena Pasha, YCllr for Manchester

Dermot Hamill, Former MYP for Newry & Armagh (2021 – 2023)

Cameron Holt, MYP for Bassetlaw

Uno Borlasa, Former MYP for Havering (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Dean Spooner, YCllr for Maidstone

Anna Morgan, Former MYP for Chesire East (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Alya Kakay, MYP for Kent

Lilly Tear, Former Sheffield Youth Council member (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Lucy Jewell, Former BYC regional coordinator, Youth Focus South West (2023 – 2024)

Anonymous

Maximilian Czekalski, Parish Cllr, Woolston Parish Council

Elspeth Walters, Former MYP for Allerdale and Copeland (2018 – 2020)

Zack Hellard, Former MYP for Cardiff (2022 – 2024)

Conor Warren, CEO of Spark UK

Django Perks, Former YCllr for Sheffield

Kashmire Hawker, Former MYP for the City of Wolverhampton (2012 – 2016)

Anonymous

Rosie Bell, Former MYP for Northumberland (2022 – 2024)

Eleanor Spray, YCllr for Sheffield

Anonymous

Noah Wood, MYP for Newark and Sherwood

Anonymous

James Cathcart, Director of Young Voices Heard, Former CEO of BYC (2008 – 2016)

Tariq Karim, Youth Service Manager, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Lynne Meechan, Former MYP Support Worker, Built-in Participation (2001 – 2015)

Rhiannon Griffiths MBE, Managing Director, Comics Youth CIC

Anonymous

Jonathan Harper, CEO of Future Foundations

Anonymous

Vicky Hall, Hampshire Youth Parliament Lead

Kevin Munday, Former Chair and Trustee of BYC (1998 – 2001)

Mark Flynn, Former Trustee of BYC (2009 – 2011)

Jess Wake, Former MYP for Stockton on Tees (2013 – 2015)

Willoughby Matthews, Former MYP for the Isle of Wight (2013 – 2017)

Anonymous

Rose Dowling, CEO of Leaders Unlocked

Derek Oakley, Former Trustee of BYC (2007 – 2009)

Dan Wood, Former Trustee and Chair of BYC (2004 – 2006)

Nathan Randles, Former DCMS Youth Voice Steering Group member (2019 – 2021)

Lucy Plummer, Former Youth Engagement Coordinator of BYC (2021 – 2024)

Cllr Bailey-Lee Robb, Former MSYP and Youth Select Committee member

David Hall, Former MYP for the Royal Borough of Greenwich (2013 – 2015)

Millie Rudman, Youth Engagement Lead, EY Foundation

Amy, Youth Project Development Officer, St John Ambulance

Iffat Rahman, Former Chair of West Sussex Youth Cabinet (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Maria Marlow, Youth Voice Consultant, Animo Leadership

Amelia Collins-Patel MBE, Founder of YLProjectHope CIC

Raul Tinca, Former DMYP for Redbridge (2018 – 2021)

Ewan McCall, Former UK Young Ambassador to Europe (2013 – 2019)

Ali Khosravi, Former MYP for Barnsley (2015 – 2018)

Ace Merriott, Volunteer, Hampshire Youth Parliament

Liv Eren, Former DCMS Youth Policy Group member (2019 – 2020)

Lucy Read, Founding member of UKYP (1997 – 2003)

Robert Cope, Head of Content, Macmillan Cancer Support

Maristelle, User Voice Lead, Mindworks

Leia Mills, MYP for Warrington

Anna Bodman, Former NHS Youth Forum member

Faizan Ahmed, Former MYP of London Borough of Redbridge (2020 – 2022)

Giancarlo Mempouo, MYP for Rotherham

Anonymous

David Agyemang, Young Mayor for Salford

Anonymous

Niamh Baker, Former MYP for Surrey (2020 – 2022)

Azzees Minott, COO of 2-3 Degrees

Tom Hunter, Former MYP for West Durham (2010 – 2012)

Jules Mason, Former Trustee of BYC (1998 – 1999)

Amogh Nagendra, Former DMYP for Rotherham (2022 – 2024)

Hannah Taaffe, Girl Voice Lead, Girlguiding

Frankie Cullen, DMYP for Warrington

Cllr Matt Relf, Ashfield Independants

Ealaf Al-Najar, MYP for Hammersmith and Fulham

Michael Lister, Chair of the Youth Advisory Board, The Mix

Anonymous

Emilia Ashton, Former MYP for Rotherham (2016 – 2018)

Cllr David Field, Labour

Anonymous

Nathan Coombes, DMYP for Cheshire East

Anonymous

Fatima Diallo, Member of the Youth Advisory Board, The Mix

Alex Delaney, Former Trustee of BYC (2009 – 2010)

Sonny Tipping, YCllr for Thurrock

Cain, Member of the Leadership Board, #iWill

Omar Thomas Kassam, Youth Advisor, Liverpool City Council

Precious Okeowo, Former MYP for Kent (2023 – 2024)

Zara Okusi, UK Young Ambassador to the European Youth Forum

Tracey Herald, Sustainability Consultant, TM Herald Consulting LTD

Joshua Brown-Smith, Former Chair of Young Advisors, Lewisham Council (2017 – 2022)

Abigail Tandy, Former MYP for Wakefield West (2016 – 2018)

Jack Hughes, Senior School Councillor and Charity/Community Committee member, William de Ferrers School

Jack Bann, DMYP for Rotherham

Jessica Halliday, Former MYP for Darlington (2016 – 2017)

Hannah Lawless, Member of the Careers & Enterprise Company Youth Advisory Group

Anonymous

Ashaz Abbass, MYP for Rotherham

Anonymous

Amy Barbor, Consultant

Chloe Thwaites, Youth Voice and Creative Engagement Officer, North Yorkshire Council

Anonymous

William Blewitt, Former MYP for Suffolk (2022 – 2024)

Anonymous

Richard Norman, Chief Executive, Leadership Skills Foundation

Anonymous

Ternaya Cummings, Director, South Glos Playscheme

Ben Maher, Former Chair of Brent Youth Parliament (2020 – 2022)

John Loughton BEM, Former Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament (2006 – 2008)

Todd Murray, Former MWYP for Bridgend (2018 – 2020)

Emily Richards, MYP for Staffordshire

Lucas Harris, Youth Worker, Plymouth City Council

Mason Heather, DMYP for Withheld Constituency

Sienna Swaddle, DMYP for Withheld Constituency

Lily-Louise Hayward, MYP for Withheld Constituency

Anonymous

Sofia Elliott, YCllr for Withheld Constituency

Rocky Travers, MYP for Withheld Constituency

Joseph Leo Dann, Youth Support Worker Apprentice, Plymouth City Council

Anonymous

Martina Mukerji, Family Support Counsellor, Naomi House Hospices

Rebekah Wakefield, Young People’s Participation Officer, Norfolk County Council

Nicholas Chan, Liberal Democrats PPC for Chatham and Aylesford

+20 members of the public