What it means to be an NSPCC young campaigner
18-year-old Amelia shares her experience of working with us and how the opportunity has helped her.
“When I was first asked to be a young campaigner for the NSPCC I was shocked as it was something I’d never considered before. I’d heard lots about the charity but never really knew that they involved young people in all their work. So I said yes, and my journey since becoming a young campaigner has been amazing.
I’ve done so many things I never thought I could do – from helping on campaigns and supplying feedback on materials and videos, to meeting the Board of Trustees and talking to them. I’ve also been privileged to be able to run the London Marathon for the NSPCC earlier this year as well as many other opportunities.
Being a NSPCC young campaigner has been great and the team who work with us always help us to find an event or a campaign to work on that suits us. When I first started, I was fairly quiet and lacked self-confidence. I remember at my first event, I didn’t talk to anyone unless they started a conversation with me first and even then I wouldn’t talk to them for long. But just a short while later I was at my second event known as ‘Invader’s day’ where a whole load of young campaigners from across the country came together to take over the London offices. WOW! There were so many people and very quickly I found some I got on with and we’re still friends now.
The opportunities have really helped me build my confidence. I’m no longer a quiet person and I really enjoy getting involved and helping other young campaigners for the NSPCC to do the same. I love being able to help others who are new to the young campaign group to settle in and make friends as I know how important that was for me.
Being an NSPCC campaigner has really changed me as a person. It’s helped me do more things where I live but also decide what I want to do when I’m older. Overall the experience has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what the next adventures will bring.
Being invited to attend the Christmas light switch-on at Downing Street came as such surprise to me. But I was so excited to be offered the opportunity as it allows me to talk to people who are there about the NSPCC, all the campaigns they run and the help that they offer a large range of children and young people, but also to adults through the Helpline. I’m very excited to attend the Christmas lights switch-on.”
