Alex has been a Youth Ambassador for YMCA since the programme’s inception, and has been involved with YMCA in one way or another since birth. Alex is a qualified youth worker and specialises in youth voice and participation, and serves as a young trustee at her local YMCA in Barnsley.
Alex not only champions young people at a local and national level but also internationally, sitting on the YMCA Europe Youth Policy Group and representing YMCA at the European Youth Forum and UN ECOSOC in a voluntary capacity.
Over the past year, Alex has gone above and beyond to call on the Government to prioritise the needs of young people. Last year she became YMCAs youth representative on the Back Youth Alliance, which is a national group speaking directly to the government about the needs and experiences of young people. In that time Alex has played a pivotal role in challenging the government as they formed how funding would be distributed, and is holding them to account with other youth representatives to ensure it is delivered.
When funding was seen as being at risk, Alex quickly mobilised her support networks to back the YMCA call for an immediate funding release during the Government’s Autumn Spending Review. She held a session with other young people on what the current situation was and what they could do to support it. Alex not only took action herself but mobilised others to do so as well, which is the sign of an excellent campaigner.