Fight for Our Creative Futures: how the Steering Group built Generation Hull
Plenty of organisations say they're youth-led. Fewer can point to the moment young people actually shaped what the organisation became. Generation Hull can. Here's what the Steering Group does, and why it matters more than a line on a website.
Where it started: they created what it is
The Steering Group's influence goes back further than most people realise. This group of young people didn't just shape Generation Hull, they created what it is. That includes the motto that now sits at the heart of everything Generation Hull does: Fight for Our Creative Futures. Not a line dreamed up in a strategy meeting, but words that came directly from the young people the whole thing is built around.
Lobbying for partner buy-in
Once Generation Hull existed, the Steering Group took on a different job. As the organisation needed buy-in and involvement from partners, the group stepped into a lobbying role, making the case directly to the people and organisations Generation Hull needed on side. That's young people doing the work of winning support, not just being consulted on it.
Shaping how Generation Hull shows up
The Steering Group's influence isn't limited to founding principles. They've been directly involved in crafting the strategy behind Generation Hull's social media and website, shaping how the organisation talks, what it shows, and how it presents itself to the young people it's trying to reach. It's their judgement on what feels authentic and what doesn't.
On the ground: Pride and BABEL
That involvement shows up in person too. The Steering Group had a presence at this year's Pride Parade, representing Generation Hull at one of the city's biggest community events. BABEL is next on the calendar, and the group will be part of it when it arrives for this year's Freedom Festival.
Shaping what comes next
Right now, the Steering Group is feeding directly into Generation Hull's long-term strategy. That means sitting down and being honest about what's working, what isn't, and what should exist that doesn't yet, more of this, less of that, and entirely new ideas the group wants to see explored.
It's a genuine feedback loop, not a box-ticking exercise. The people the programme exists for are the ones deciding where it goes.
Why this matters
Funders and partners hear "youth-led" a lot. What they don't always see is what it looks like in practice: young people lobbying an organisation into existence, naming what it stands for, shaping how it communicates, showing up at the events that matter, and steering where it heads next. That's the Steering Group's story, and it's one worth telling properly.