Citizen Youth panel

Youth Panel Update: Shaping Citizen Together

A huge thank you to all of our Youth Panel members who continue to share their ideas, experiences and feedback. Your voices are helping to shape services, influence important business decisions and make a real difference to communities across Citizen.

As we move through the final months of 2026, we wanted to share what we've achieved so far and what's coming next.


🎯 Influencing Real Change

One of the key aims of the Youth Panel is to ensure young customers have a voice in major Citizen projects and service developments. Throughout 2026, panel members have helped us understand the views of younger customers and have contributed valuable insight into key areas of our work.

❄️ Winter Campaign Focus Group

In September, Youth Panel members joined our Winter Campaign Focus Group alongside other engaged customers. The session explored campaign materials, key winter advice, preferred communication channels and barriers that younger customers may face during the winter months.

Your feedback has already helped us:

  • Improve the relevance of winter communications.
  • Make campaign materials more accessible.
  • Identify better ways to communicate with younger customers.
  • Shape future social media and digital content.

Most importantly, the session demonstrated the impact that young people's voices can have on live business projects.


What's Coming Next?

💻 October: My Account Project Workshop

Working alongside the Digital and Customer Experience teams, panel members will help shape the future of Citizen's online services through the My Account Project Workshop.

This is an opportunity to directly influence services used by thousands of customers.

🗣️ October: Competency and Conduct Standard Focus Group

We will also be working with Customer Experience and Operational teams to understand what code of conduct standards looks like from a young person's perspective. Feedback from Youth Panel members will help shape future service standards across Citizen.

🌳 October: Tidy Friday

Youth Panel members will have the opportunity to support a local Tidy Friday event, working alongside colleagues and customers to improve local neighbourhoods and community spaces.

This is a great chance to make a visible difference in the community while meeting other engaged customers and Citizen colleagues.

🔍 October to December: Customer Scrutiny Involvement

We are exploring opportunities for Youth Panel members to become involved with the Customer Scrutiny Panel. This will provide insight into how scrutiny, governance and decision-making processes work within Citizen and allow members to contribute their own views and recommendations.

🚶 December: "Day in the Life" Experience

We're looking to introduce a behind-the-scenes experience where members can join Citizen colleagues on a community engagement project or visit a project funded through the Citizen Local Fund.

Potential activities include:

  • Visiting community projects.
  • Meeting local organisations and project leaders.
  • Learning how community funding creates impact.
  • Capturing stories and feedback from participants.
  • Producing a Youth Perspective report.

🌟 December: Youth Panel Review and Planning Session

To finish the year, we'll bring panel members together to celebrate achievements, reflect on the year and help shape the future of the Youth Panel.

Together we'll:

  • Review successes from 2026.
  • Discuss lessons learned.
  • Identify priorities for 2027.
  • Explore future topics and projects.
  • Generate ideas to attract new Youth Panel members.


Looking Ahead

By the end of 2026, we are aiming to achieve:

✅ Four major focus groups delivered.

✅ Youth Panel involvement in a Tidy Friday community event.

✅ Youth representation within Customer Scrutiny activity.

✅ A completed Day in the Life engagement experience.

✅ A co-produced Youth Panel vision and priorities plan for 2027.


Thank You

Everything we do is stronger when customers are involved, and our Youth Panel continues to bring fresh perspectives, challenge our thinking and help us develop better services.

We're excited about what the rest of 2026 has in store and look forward to continuing to work with you to make a positive difference across Citizen.

Together, we're building services, communities and opportunities that work for young people and future generations. 💙

Youth Panel Update: Shaping Citizen Together

A huge thank you to all of our Youth Panel members who continue to share their ideas, experiences and feedback. Your voices are helping to shape services, influence important business decisions and make a real difference to communities across Citizen.

As we move through the final months of 2026, we wanted to share what we've achieved so far and what's coming next.


🎯 Influencing Real Change

One of the key aims of the Youth Panel is to ensure young customers have a voice in major Citizen projects and service developments. Throughout 2026, panel members have helped us understand the views of younger customers and have contributed valuable insight into key areas of our work.

❄️ Winter Campaign Focus Group

In September, Youth Panel members joined our Winter Campaign Focus Group alongside other engaged customers. The session explored campaign materials, key winter advice, preferred communication channels and barriers that younger customers may face during the winter months.

Your feedback has already helped us:

  • Improve the relevance of winter communications.
  • Make campaign materials more accessible.
  • Identify better ways to communicate with younger customers.
  • Shape future social media and digital content.

Most importantly, the session demonstrated the impact that young people's voices can have on live business projects.


What's Coming Next?

💻 October: My Account Project Workshop

Working alongside the Digital and Customer Experience teams, panel members will help shape the future of Citizen's online services through the My Account Project Workshop.

This is an opportunity to directly influence services used by thousands of customers.

🗣️ October: Competency and Conduct Standard Focus Group

We will also be working with Customer Experience and Operational teams to understand what code of conduct standards looks like from a young person's perspective. Feedback from Youth Panel members will help shape future service standards across Citizen.

🌳 October: Tidy Friday

Youth Panel members will have the opportunity to support a local Tidy Friday event, working alongside colleagues and customers to improve local neighbourhoods and community spaces.

This is a great chance to make a visible difference in the community while meeting other engaged customers and Citizen colleagues.

🔍 October to December: Customer Scrutiny Involvement

We are exploring opportunities for Youth Panel members to become involved with the Customer Scrutiny Panel. This will provide insight into how scrutiny, governance and decision-making processes work within Citizen and allow members to contribute their own views and recommendations.

🚶 December: "Day in the Life" Experience

We're looking to introduce a behind-the-scenes experience where members can join Citizen colleagues on a community engagement project or visit a project funded through the Citizen Local Fund.

Potential activities include:

  • Visiting community projects.
  • Meeting local organisations and project leaders.
  • Learning how community funding creates impact.
  • Capturing stories and feedback from participants.
  • Producing a Youth Perspective report.

🌟 December: Youth Panel Review and Planning Session

To finish the year, we'll bring panel members together to celebrate achievements, reflect on the year and help shape the future of the Youth Panel.

Together we'll:

  • Review successes from 2026.
  • Discuss lessons learned.
  • Identify priorities for 2027.
  • Explore future topics and projects.
  • Generate ideas to attract new Youth Panel members.


Looking Ahead

By the end of 2026, we are aiming to achieve:

✅ Four major focus groups delivered.

✅ Youth Panel involvement in a Tidy Friday community event.

✅ Youth representation within Customer Scrutiny activity.

✅ A completed Day in the Life engagement experience.

✅ A co-produced Youth Panel vision and priorities plan for 2027.


Thank You

Everything we do is stronger when customers are involved, and our Youth Panel continues to bring fresh perspectives, challenge our thinking and help us develop better services.

We're excited about what the rest of 2026 has in store and look forward to continuing to work with you to make a positive difference across Citizen.

Together, we're building services, communities and opportunities that work for young people and future generations. 💙