Why representation matters: My journey in youth advocacy

• Written by: Annie Ferguson — SAFE Youth Leader
• Published: 18th August 2026

Annie shares her experience of youth politics, and how SAFE has helped her make connections and makes sense of the world of politics.

When I stepped into the role of youth advocacy for the Scottish Advisory Forum’s sub-committee, I didn’t feel like I belonged. I was a first-generation, working-class student who had no conception of what I could do with my life; the world of work often felt exclusionary, particularly the old boys club of politics with only 20% of working-class MPs when I was growing up.

So whilst this is a rite of passage for any ‘politico’, for a first-generation, working-class student it brings its own set of challenges – we are quite literally forging our paths within institutions and systems not originally built to accommodate us. Despite, education becoming more accessible, the wider world is playing catch up and systemic barriers remain across industries.

Trying to plan a career, meant I went through an internal identity reckoning between who I wanted to be and who my imposter syndrome told me I could be, I felt out of my depth and perpetually two steps behind everyone else. How do you gain experience when internships are unpaid? How do you gain access to networks without having initial contacts or even know anybody in the field?

Even now, when sitting across from senior stakeholders in business, politics and civil society, that same imposter syndrome I’ve carried since my first day at university tries to creep back in. Who was I to shape policy conversations with ambassadors and government ministers?  Is what I have to say important? But that’s exactly the point of youth advocacy, and the sub-committee has taught me, again and again that the rooms that feel most unimaginable to enter are often the ones that most need a different voice in them.

Through my work on the sub-committee, I became a youth leader. I am proud to say I have achieved:  

• Helped design policy recommendations on UK-EU issues, presented to the UK Government, which subsequently led to the reintroduction of Erasmus+
• Represented Scotland/UK at the EU Parliament (twice!), most recently designing UK-EU plenary recommendations submitted to the EU Parliament
• Met with senior diplomats and ambassadors to advocate for Scottish youth
• Featured in a short film and wrote newsletters about my political advocacy work with SAFE
• Spoke at the UK-EU Youth Summit on youth participation and activism
• Held workshops with Alliance on youth mobility, rights and participation

That highlights what youth advocacy has been for me; not just influencing policy, but proving to myself first, and to the institutions second that working-class, first-generation, young people belong in these rooms. Not as a token youth voice, but as people with the political awareness, judgement and strategic thinking to help shape decisions that affect our generation. SAFE has allowed me to rewrite the story about what youth can and are allowed and importantly enabled to do.

SAFE has truly transformed my life and career trajectory and I am so grateful for Irene and the work that SAFE do. It has given me knowledge, networks and skills to go and forge my career path, whatever that may be. This isn’t just about adding something impressive to your resume; it’s about opening doors to spaces that have historically felt exclusive and difficult to navigate.

My advice to anyone with an interest in politics or policy: just join! You’ll gain valuable skills, meet incredible people, and discover what it feels like to forge your path in a field that you care about. I am deeply grateful for this experience, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone ready to learn, grow, and explore what a career in public service could be.

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