YCA at the Changemakers Conference 2025
Back in July, members of the Youth Climate Ambassadors for Wales (YCA)headed to Cardiff to take part in the annual **Changemaker Conference, hosted by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA) at the Temple of Peace and Health.
Changemakers is a global citizenship project, funded by the British Council, that empowers young people to think critically about the biggest issues facing our world – and then take real action to create positive change. Every year, WCIA brings schools, organisations, and young people together to celebrate their achievements and share ideas for a better future.
Taking action for nature 🌱💧
During the marketplace session, we ran our own interactive stall where we chatted with pupils from primary and secondary schools about nature-based solutions – like restoring floodplains and natural flood management – and why they matter so much for Wales.
This tied directly into our current River Petition, which calls on the Welsh Government to invest in nature to reduce flooding, boost biodiversity, and restore river ecosystems. (You can add your voice here ➡️ [Sign the petition](https://www.ycawales.com/river-petition)).
Making our voices heard 🎤
Later in the day, YCA members joined a workshop with Josh from Citizens Cymru, where we explored how young people can raise their voices, get organised, and make sure decision-makers listen. It was a powerful reminder that youth-led movements do have the tools to influence change in their communities.
Inspiring the next generation 🌟
The day wrapped up with an inspiring panel, where YCA members Freya, Lila, and Emily spoke on stage about the power of youth climate action. They highlighted how young people can – and already are – shaping the future, and encouraged their peers to take action for our planet.
The Changemakers Conference was a brilliant reminder that when young people come together, share ideas, and take action, change is possible.
👉 If you’d like to learn more about the Youth Climate Ambassadors for Wales, or get involved, drop us a message at yca@wcia.org.uk.
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YCA at the Changemakers Conference 2024
On 17 July 2024 members of the Youth Climate Ambassadors for Wales (YCA) participated in the Changemakers Conference hosted by the Welsh Centre for International Affairs at the Temple of Peace and Health in Cardiff. The YCA are a youth-led group supported by Climate Cymru to represent youth voices across Wales.
Changemakers is a Global Citizenship project, funded by the British Council, that seeks to give learners and young people the opportunity to think critically on global issues, before planning and taking action on collectively to create positive change. Every year, WCIA host a conference to celebrate the achievements of schools and young people taking part in the project.
During the conference in July the YCA participated in workshops on slow fashion with Ophelia Dos Santos and listened to presentations from Environment Platform Wales and the Senedd.
The YCA hold an interactive stall during the marketplace session and engaged young people from primary and secondary schools to share what matters to them. The students voiced their thoughts on recycling, litter, biodiversity and diversity.
The highlight of the conference for the YCA were their speeches. The chair, Yolay, of the YCA encouraged all young people to use their power to take climate action and invited them to join the consultation group of the YCA, the Vice Chair, Arthur, explained the connection between climate change and children’s rights, Emily spoke about her personal journey from taking part in bird watches to becoming an active YCA and Freya, one of the youngest members of the YCA spoke about the negative impacts of lithium batteries in electric vehicles and demanded better and more sustainable solutions.
If you are interested to know more about the Young Climate Ambassadors for Wales please get in touch with us on yca@wcia.org.uk
