Lara’s Story

In 2019, I joined UK Youth as a London representative for the 'Youth Steering Board', following years of being involved in the youth group scene in London, and as a Member of Youth Parliament for the London Borough of Hillingdon. At UK Youth, I heard about a call for young people to partake in an exciting new initiative called the 'Hope Collective', and I was immediately interested.

I really resonated with the message of working together to establish real change for the UK's most vulnerable communities: having focused a lot of my activism on issues facing young Londoners - from knife crime, to the mental health crisis, to the education system in the UK -  I knew that I could contribute positively to the message of the Collective. 

Since joining in 2020, I've really enjoyed participating in Hacks across the country and meeting a wide range of young people. My favourite part is getting young people at the hacks out of their shell and into the wider conversation, especially by creating a safe space for them to feel comfortable to share their stories. 

Since early 2025, I've been part of the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) and the #iWill Movement's work on the National Youth Strategy, in my role as a Youth Collaborator. I've represented the work of the Hope Collective throughout my time there, and contributed to shaping a youth strategy that will positively impact young people of all ages across the UK.

I really look forward to this new chapter of the Hope Collective, and can't wait to see what we do next!