Ella discusses her time as a Youth Ambassador and the impact of City of Change:
I find that often when communicating with large organisations and businesses, young people are invited to the table to offer “a younger perspective” (often for free), but the collaboration can feel tokenistic. Most young people don’t have the resources or capacity to hold organisations accountable, so it’s difficult to trust that institutions will follow through with inclusivity plans when we’re not part of the process and able to witness any genuine accountability and growth.
Working with Babbasa, it’s empowering to fully trust the integrity of our campaign, City of Change. Together, we have used our voices to challenge Bristol’s sectors to invest in diverse leadership by forming intergenerational collaborations. Launching this campaign with our cohort of youth ambassadors, who are leading Bristol towards an inclusive recovery, has confirmed to me every day that our city’s young community is powerful.