“At Alder Hey we are a key stakeholder in our local community. Our youth participation groups allow children and young people to have their voices heard across Alder Hey so that they can make a positive difference to the lives of patients in the future. We currently have three active groups across Alder Hey, The Forum which represents all areas of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, the Camhelions and Transform who represent our Sefton and Liverpool CAMHS. The inspiration for the Youth Voice project came from our participation group members who told us they had concerns about making the transition into adulthood. Many of our children and young people face multiple barriers to participation in mainstream activities which can impact on their future life chances. Through Youth Voice we will provide a programme of vocational training and skills development opportunities, inspiring them to grow and develop, both personally and as members of their local communities. Youth Voice is a really exciting project as it will be led by our children and young people who will work together to develop and shape content. We are very grateful to everybody at John Laing Charitable Trust and John Laing for their support and for making this very important project happen.”