National Youth Summit 2023

What to expect?

The National Youth Summit is a FREE event that brings together young people, leaders, change-makers and creators to empower the younger generation through the principles of co‑operation.

Expect inspiring speakers and interactive workshops exploring co-operative solutions to some of society’s greatest challenges.

The National Youth Summit is a Co-operatives UK event in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank, Co‑op Foundation and The Co‑operative College.

Who is the National Youth Summit for?

The annual event is open to young people – as well as people or organisations working with young people or who want to engage with young people.

There is something for everyone at the National Youth Summit – whether you are already involved with co-operatives or have no idea what a co-op is!

We offer a limited number of travel bursaries to make the even as accessible as possible.

Programme of events

For information only. This event took place on 5 July 2023.

11.30-12.00: Registration and welcome refreshments (Atrium)

12.00-12.20: Welcome to the National Youth Summit (Explore)

An introduction to co-operation by Rose Marley, CEO of Co-operatives UK.

12.20-12.50: Introduction from the Co-op Foundation and workshop (Explore)

An introduction from event partner Co-op Foundation about some of the work they are doing to support young people wanting to work and live co-operatively in their communities.

12.50-1.40: Lunch is provided (Atrium)

1.40-2.30 sessions

The future of work and the AI movement (Explore)

Technology is moving at a breakneck pace and AI could soon influence every aspect of our career. As young people, we need to be ready to actively embrace this revolution. Join this session to learn all about how we can work co-operatively to get the most out of technology.

Global youth led co-ops: Inspiration, insights and action (Inspire) 

Drawing on examples from around the world, Dr Amanda Benson from the Co-operative College, will lead this interactive session exploring what has enabled young people in other countries to successfully develop co-ops, and what we can learn from these experiences. Prepare to be inspired!

Stop gatekeeping co-ops: How can we campaign to spread the word? (Learn)

Co-operatives have amazing potential to create a more equitable and sustainable society. But why don’t more young people know about them? In this interactive session, we’ll work with three young co-operators to begin planning a campaign to spread the word more broadly, so everyone is introduced to the benefits of co-operation.

2.30-2.50: Refreshment break (Atrium)

2.50-3.40 sessions

Living and spending co-operatively (Explore)

It’s not easy being a young person during a cost-of-living crisis. How can we cut costs while still living ethically and sustainably? Join money-saving expert Shakira for this engaging workshop that will introduce some co-operative solutions.

Great expectations: Where’s the next generation of co-operators coming from? (Inspire)

Meet Buncey, from the Young Co-operators Network, and Mathilde from the Young European Cooperators Network, who’ll be hosting an interactive session on how to open out co-ops to younger people.

Climate action – how can we make a difference? (Learn)

Nearly 60% of young people are worried about climate change. But what can we do about it? In this session we’ll explore people's personal and wider concerns around climate. We'll hear from people who are working in their own way to create change both locally, nationally and internationally – as well as practical ways you can reduce your environmental impact.

3.40-4.00: Refreshment break (Atrium)

4.00-4.50 sessions

The positive power of social media (Explore)

As young people, we need to stop doom scrolling and instead use social media as a platform to make ourselves heard. In this session, Alex McCann, social media extraordinaire, will help us transform our TikToks and reels into powerful content that actually makes a difference to the issues we care about.

Owning the news: headlines we can trust (Inspire)

Not all newspapers and magazines are owned by billionaires or multinational corporations. Media co-ops are owned by their members. But how does this model work in practice? Are they any different from mainstream media outlets? Who calls the shots, and how does being owned by their readers and/or journalists impact the way stories are covered? Unpick the headlines with journalists from two media co-operatives, Co-op News and New Internationalist, in this interactive workshop.

Empowering young co-operators: Creating a co-operative journey for the next generation (Learn)

In this interactive workshop, your insight will shed light on the co-operative journey for younger people. Personal stories and experiences will help map out essential steps, resources, and support systems we need to make the transition into the co-operative movement more meaningful and successful. It's all about understanding what you need from from co-operatives and infrastructure bodies including Co-operatives UK. By understanding the needs, motives and ambitions of young people we will also explore the crucial question of 'what's next?' Join us in shaping a co-operative landscape that resonates with the aspirations of the next generation.

5.00-6.00: Question time panel (Explore)

We’ll be closing the National Youth Summit with the opportunity to ask our range of panellists your questions. The session will be hosted by the wonderful presenter Amber Sandhu from BBC Asian Network & BBC Radio WM. Who are our panellists? Keep an eye on our social media channels to find out…

6.00-8.00: Networking with drinks and nibbles (Atrium)

Don’t miss out!

Keep up to date with all National Youth Summit 2024 announcements on Instagram @cooperativesUK and Twitter @CooperativesUK. And sign up for our newsletters at: uk.coop/email.

The National Youth Summit is a partnership between Co-operatives UK, The Co‑operative Bank, Co‑op Foundation and The Co‑operative College.

Please note: Co-operatives UK is unable to provide letters of invitation for international delegates.