When I launched The Big Future survey earlier this year, I set the ambitious goal of hearing directly from a million children and young people about their lives and the future they want.
Just ten weeks on from the launch of the survey, more than 600,000 children and young people have already shared their views – surpassing the response numbers for both my previous surveys, The Big Ask and The Big Ambition.
Every response represents a young person who has taken the time to tell me what matters most to them. Together, they are creating one of the most comprehensive pictures of childhood in England ever gathered directly from children themselves.
As part of The Big Future survey, I have been travelling the length of the country to meet children where they are, from schools and youth clubs to hospitals, family hubs and community groups. I started at Hadrian’s Wall in May and will continue all the way to Land’s End over the coming months.
Wherever I go, I have been struck by just how deeply children care about their futures. They are ambitious, thoughtful and full of ideas about how to make life better, not only for themselves but for other children too.
Some themes have emerged time and again. Children have consistently told me they want safe places to play, opportunities to succeed, communities where they belong and, above all, adults who will listen to them and take their views seriously.
In Cumbria, local politics students spoke about the importance of giving children a voice when discussing the decisions that affect their lives. Meanwhile, young people in Lancashire talked about how the internet was shaping their childhoods, and how comparison-driven, algorithm-shaped online experiences were affecting their confidence and self-worth in the real world.
In Birmingham, children spoke about how strong community spirit helped them to thrive. Creativity and drama were key for children in Nottingham and Leicester, while children in Suffolk highlighted the need for safe places and activities beyond social media.
More recently, young apprentices in Southampton told me about the challenges they experienced entering the job market and spoke of the need for more flexible routes into employment. Children I met at Anfield told me about the pride they had in the city of Liverpool and questioned why others were not always proud of where they lived. Children in Bournemouth celebrated the adults who supported them and wanted every child to have the same opportunities to go outside and thrive.
These conversations have only reinforced the need for The Big Future.
The survey was launched at the second Festival of Childhood, where I spoke about the growing sense in Westminster and around the country that childhood has changed.
Politicians and policymakers rightly spend huge amounts of time debating children’s lives, from online safety to support for children with additional needs, in the hope of giving today’s children a better future. Yet children themselves tell me they feel excluded from those conversations. The Big Ambition found that only one in five children believe leaders listen to their views.
Since the launch of The Big Future, the political landscape has also changed. We now have a new Prime Minister and a new government with an opportunity to shape childhood for years to come, making it more important than ever that children’s voices help inform those decisions.
Throughout my time as Children’s Commissioner, I have seen that the best policy starts by listening to children. It was by listening to children that stronger protections for siblings in care were created and that children’s needs were recognised in the Victims’ Code.
The Big Future builds on that work.
Over the coming months, I will be sharing what children have told me through The Big Future with Ministers, parliamentarians and decision makers. Young people’s views will help shape recommendations to government on the issues that matter most to children, from education and mental health to housing, online safety, play and opportunities for the future.
Children have repeatedly told me they want adults to listen. They do not expect every problem to be solved overnight, but they do expect to be taken seriously.
As I reflect on The Big Future so far, I remain convinced that we make better decisions when we start by listening to children. Their experiences, hopes and ideas should never be an afterthought. They should always be the starting point.
I want to thank every child, parent, carer, teacher, youth worker and organisation who has supported The Big Future so far. Together, we have shown what is possible when we make space for children’s voices.
