You know what, standing in Parliament was a different feeling. Going from being a young person coming from nothing to now speaking in a room full of important people, and people who actually listened to what I had to say, I felt like I had achieved something… the confidence and the power to be in those rooms and do things like that.

More than half of the group had never camped before, and none had ever been to a festival. But they weren’t just there to experience Green Man Festival. They were there to facilitate a session with festival-goers and get people thinking together.

There's something really lovely about the fact The Agency programme finished years ago, but the people, their ideas and the relationships don’t end - they now have a chance to flourish in different spaces.

Hosted at the Houses of Parliament by Marsha de Cordova MP and The Agency Chair Saad Eddine Said, our 2026 National Gathering celebrated our next chapter as an independent charity!

For almost three years, Nik Tubbs has been the Project Manager leading The Agency in Southampton (Energise Me), with warmth, honesty and unwavering belief in young people.

The UK Government have announced plans to introduce a social media ban for under-16s from 2027. We did what we've always done at The Agency of Change, and we asked our network of young people what they thought.

“I was first introduced to the Agency during my time working at Contact. A year before I joined, I attended the festival of ideas in Harpurhey and was so inspired by the talent in the room from both the Agents and staff…”

I see The Agency as a big ship - we all have different roles, but mine is to help keep us on course and mindful of the direction we’re heading in. I hold the wider picture, keep an eye on everyone including me, and provide the tools agents need to make their own decisions. It really is a privilege to be on this journey with them.

After 13 years of backing young people to lead change in their communities, we are now an independent charity!

We can also announce that Saad Eddine Said joins The Agency of Change as Chair of the Board. A cultural leader known for advancing citizen-led governance and institutional transformation, he will help drive the our next chapter…

Hanaa Skalli, Fundraising Lead in our national team, has spent over a decade championing the power of arts and culture to transform lives. As we step into our next chapter as an independent charity, we invited Hanaa to take the pen and reflect on what it means to trust young people to lead.

From some of his earliest moments with The Agency to the movement we see taking shape today, Andrew shares what has stayed with him most, not individual achievements, but the relationships, values and collective momentum…

A recent proud moment has to be this years Panel Day. The young people were amazing, so supportive of each other and so proud of themselves… it was a day and experience I will never forget.