"Small people can do big things."
These words, offered by a primary school student at the Ipswich Deliver You Hack, cut through the noise with laser precision. And in Ipswich, the UK’s first Town of Youth Social Action, these aren’t empty words. They’re becoming reality.
A town transforming itself
Over the past decade, Ipswich has faced long-standing challenges – from the erosion of youth services to some of the lowest rates of social mobility in the country. Local youth clubs have closed. Mental health services are overwhelmed. Community spaces once filled with life have vanished under austerity.
But a fresh energy is building. Young people, supported by a growing network of local organisations, are stepping forward not just as participants, but as leaders.
Ipswich’s youth social action journey is backed by the Ipswich Social Mobility Alliance’s (ISMA) 25-year plan to improve outcomes for young people, especially those furthest from opportunity. It’s also shaped by national findings: the Social Mobility Commission’s 2024 report identified Ipswich as a place where geography and income still dictate life chances. And yet, the town is now becoming a model for what locally-driven change, shaped by young people themselves, can look like.
The title of Town of Youth Social Action "came about in 2022," says Amy Falla, Town of Youth Social Action lead and #iWill coordinator. It followed "Ipswich being highlighted as a town with really slow social mobility." The designation came through "a partnership between the #iWill Movement and ISMA."
A new kind of leadership
Inside DanceEast's sun-drenched studio, young people aren’t here to perform. They’re here to transform.
This is the Deliver You Hack – one of just six events across the UK feeding directly into a government-commissioned national youth strategy called Deliver You. It’s where primary and secondary students from across Suffolk gathered to reimagine their town – and, ultimately, their country.
The format was simple but radical. Young facilitators led themed table discussions – on voice, wellbeing, connection and opportunities – with adults stepping back and students stepping forward. The event mixed group presentations, creative responses and direct feedback to local decision-makers.
"This is a really special event," said Jack Abbott MP, addressing the room. "Because Ipswich is one of only six places in the whole country to do this. This is about all your ideas about what you want, not just Ipswich to look like, but what you want the country to look like."
"This thing has got so big now that the Department for Culture is pushing this up to Number 10 Downing Street and the Prime Minister," he added.
Not just a school activity
The Deliver You Hack exemplifies what distinguishes Ipswich’s approach to youth social action. It’s genuinely student-directed.
Young facilitators guided table discussions divided by theme: positive local activities, having a voice, day-to-day wellbeing, and connection.
"You're all here today because your voices matter," one youth facilitator announced. "This isn’t just a school activity, it’s about real change and new ideas coming to life."
The format said everything. Adults hovered at the edges while young people led from the centre. Students identified problems, developed solutions, and presented them directly to local decision-makers, including Ipswich Borough Council’s leader Neil MacDonald, Suffolk County Council’s children’s cabinet member, and business leaders.
One student ambassador put it simply: "Young people aren't just the future. You guys are the present too."
"Smaller minds have more influence"
One group opened with a bold statement: "Smaller minds have more influence." The room paused — and listened.
They spoke about the frustration of youth voices being filtered through layers of bureaucracy. "By the time it gets to the Prime Minister, it would be a completely different thing."
Their poem captured the emotional weight behind the discussion: "Our ideas need to be out there. Not being heard feels like a nightmare. It feels like the higher-ups don't really care."
But this wasn’t just frustration. It was also constructive. "Starting early equals more results," they said, calling for better education on how to get ideas heard and for more youth-led opportunities like the Hope Hack.
Students raised concerns that cut across urban and rural divides. Transport was a major issue. "From my bridge to the nearest town, there are only about four buses per day and the price is ridiculous – three pounds one way," said one student.
Mental health surfaced repeatedly. "People are getting more stressed and don't have places to go. If we had more spaces to chill and talk, it wouldn't get so bad," said one student. Another added: "The government should fund more youth clubs. We don't just want to talk about mental health. We want somewhere to go."
Their proposals included practical ideas like youth-designed mental health spaces in schools and safer routes for walking to school. "We know what would actually work for us," one student explained. "Adults might suggest complicated solutions, but sometimes we just need simple changes that make us feel heard."
One facilitator later reflected on the moment: "There was this silence in the room. Everyone just got it." Another adult at the back nodded and added quietly, "It’s a wake-up call, isn’t it? We’ve got to start listening properly."
Youth as architects, not just consultees
What makes Ipswich’s approach distinctive is that youth involvement isn’t performative. It’s structural.
"We never talk about young people in the same way as art," said Stephen Skeet, Director of Volunteering Matters, who helped bring the Deliver You Hack to life. "We’re so proud of what we do in our art. Why aren’t we doing the same with young people? This is leadership."
He sees Ipswich’s model as the opposite of traditional charity gatekeeping.
"It’s hard for charities because they generally have to present themselves as the experts to get funding. But we don’t work that way. Our organisation is just to put other people there."
This approach represents a fundamental shift in how the youth sector operates. Rather than designing services for young people, organisations across Ipswich are creating the conditions for young people to drive change themselves.
One student quietly sketched a postcard while their group spoke. On it, they wrote: “A place where we feel safe, a place where we belong.” A facilitator later said it captured the entire point of the day.
The Deliver You Hack isn’t just an isolated example – it’s emblematic of how the town is redefining youth engagement.
The 25-year vision
This work feeds into Ipswich’s wider designation as the UK’s first Town of Youth Social Action, backed by a long-term strategy.
"There are incredible young people here who have been underrepresented for a long time," says Amy Falla. "This isn’t about fixing them. It’s about changing the structures that failed them."
That vision underpins Ipswich’s role in Deliver You – a DCMS-funded youth strategy created by and for young people. It aligns with ISMA’s 25-year plan to make the town more equitable, open and youth-powered.
"It’s exciting to think we’re part of a plan that lasts longer than school," said one student. "Like we’re helping to build the future, and someone’s actually listening."
This localised action follows stark national findings. The Social Mobility Commission’s recent State of the Nation report identified Ipswich as one of several towns where opportunity is too often limited by geography, income and access.
Many youth services – from youth clubs to free school meal schemes – have been reduced or cut altogether over the past decade. In that vacuum, grassroots organisations like Community Hub Ipswich, Youth Focus Suffolk, and 4YP have stepped up, offering safe spaces, mentoring and leadership pathways when statutory support falls short.
From Ipswich to influence
"Thank you for giving us the chance to speak for future children, and also, small people can do big things," said one student. "I really think our ideas today can make a difference. It feels good to finally be heard."
That closing line sums up a new civic reality taking shape in Ipswich — not one where adults hand over the mic temporarily, but one where youth voice shapes what comes next, from transport to town planning.
The Deliver You Hack is just one thread in a growing tapestry of initiatives designed and championed by young people. From creative projects to policy development, young people are increasingly at the table – not as token representatives, but as respected experts in their own experience.
Today, on Power of Youth Day (3 June), Ipswich is in the spotlight as a national celebration of youth-led impact, with over 30 local organisations taking part. A new film from the Ipswich Deliver You Hack launches today, capturing the energy and vision behind the event.
See more from Power of Youth Day: Follow #PowerOfYouth to see how young people across the country are making their voices heard today, or visit iwill.org.uk to learn more about the #iWill Movement.
Representing young people in the media
Ipswich.co.uk is proud to announce that it is the only local media company at the time of publishing to sign the Power of Youth Charter – our commitment to ensuring that young people are heard and represented in the media. More to follow on this soon.
