Buttle UK: YAP Weekend

Over the course of a weekend in cold February, I had the opportunity to be a part of a Youth Advisory Panel Residential, meeting like-minded young people where ideas were discussed, jokes were shared, and meals were had.

It was an amazing chance to meet everyone for the first time in person, and finally made it possible to put a name to a face! I was excited to meet everyone in-person, after months of meeting and sharing ideas of the changes we wanted to action. Although it was initially quite scary and nerve racking to meet people I had only met online, the connection in our group was instant and it seemed as if we had known each other our entire lives!

While together, we had two days of intense discussion, pondering various ways in which we could spread awareness of Buttle, to essentially reach those who need its support and yet are unaware of the charity’s existence. One area that was popularly discussed was the use of social media to further the charities reach, using more engaging posts to provide information, and attract the right viewers. This was an exciting new concept that I particularly loved as someone who enjoys creating content; and doing it with others of the same mindset made this idea all the more exciting!

Although I enjoyed our time together, my favourite part was definitely our evening at the restaurant, where I got to know my work buddies in greater depth, not to mention the delicious food that we were able to order!

I absolutely loved this weekend, as it allowed me the chance to meet new people, escape the clutches of university, and share ideas with people who have been through similar scenarios and want to give back to a charity that helped them so much. I can’t wait for the world to see our plans take shape and hopefully change a community for the better.