Highlights from the Youth Zone and Skills Hub 2026 by Sian Hopkins
Hello Dolly!
Our newest team member was introduced at Labour Party Conference, a shiny if compact mobile office – nicknamed Dolly. Tucked in the corner of our festival site in the heart of the conference centre complex, with 4 marquees, youth bus used as a podcast recording studio, bistro tables, flags and banners. As the command centre to run 58 events in just over 2 days, the office space doubled up as our ‘green room’ for guests.
Dolly hosted Alastair Campbell, ahead of the Future Minds event on the inseparable challenge of mental health and youth unemployment; Frankie Van Heel, before the Prime Minister’s wife met with our visiting young apprentices from St Martin’s Group; and Education Minister Paul Waugh interviewed by young people from Bite Back, the campaign co-founded by chef Jamie Oliver that challenges junk food and school food standards.
A carousel of events
The Youth Zone & Skills Hub had rolled into Liverpool, now in our 17th conference season, and a caravan of over 35 clients in attendance joined by 50-plus young people taking part as as speakers, workshops, and sharing their experiences – and offering some solutions – on a vast array of issues. We provide a safe and creative space with young people, not a ‘kids corner’, in a carousel of events and activity tackling intergenerational challenges, bringing in business leaders and unions, charity leaders and activities, Ministers, Mayors and Councillors, and influencers.
Come rain or shine
The Youth Zone & Skills Hub had an electric energy, from open debate panels to smaller boardroom discussions. It wasn’t the high winds that raised the roof of the theatre marquees.
Fun and games were had at the return of our Sunday feature – ‘Youth Quiz: The Rivals’. Geordie youth worker turned scouser Darren Simpson stepped out of the Walton Youth & Community podcasting bus to compere the quiz (think TV’s QI) while I was in dictionary corner and our host Jonathan Hopkins the ‘off screen voice’ and judge-supreme. Teams from Labour, sector leaders and young people competed led by team captains Natasha Irons MP, Centre for Young Lives and Youth Focus NW.
It was a stunning victory for the youth team and the winners’ awards presented by Minister for Youth Vicky Foxcroft MP, who was then joined by DCMS Secretary of State Lisa Nandy MP ‘In the Hot Seat’ for an audience Q&A. The winning team were invited back for a front row seat to the Secretary of State’s conference hall speech, to hear the latest announcements of government policies and commitment for young people – not bad as prizes go! Where they heard also Influencer Georgia Harrison make a passionate speech on internet safety and image-based sexual abuse; and Georgia using the Youth Zone outside area beforehand to gather her thoughts and prepare for the speech.
The place to be
In the hubbub of conference the Youth Zone and Skills Hub saw Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith ‘in conversation’ with young apprentices, in our first ever Apprenticeships Day. Business leaders met in boardroom discussions, introducing our first Good Growth Quarter with Be the Business and SME Minister Lord Leong. Our partners City & Guilds co-hosted a raft of discussions on skills and productivity. And as the Milburn Review on Youth Unemployment dominated the conference fringe, we welcomed Alan Milburn into the tent as part of our programme of events alongside all things NEETs led by Youth Futures Foundation. With the added glamour of the Premier League trophy on show also during the Premier League Foundation’s panel, talking about supporting young people into positive pathways.
Our boardroom marquees held roundtable discussions, each introducing important topics and ideas, many seen through the lens of young lives. A highlight of mine was joining Brook’s roundtable to talk about tackling violence against women and girls, and misogyny within the school environment. I spoke about my own experiences as an education and wellbeing specialist working with students and resources as well as training teachers and staff in their workplace in schools. It was a real joy to meet fellow ex-Brook young trustee and a hero of mine Jess Asato MP, now VAWG adviser to government and member of the education Committee. It was a real privilege to take part in this event and swap ideas and experiences with experts and policymakers.
The party of all parties
Not only were we treated in the day, but there was plenty to entertain us in the evenings. Our Sunday reception celebrated the best of the Skills sector. On Monday, we joined the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in their celebration of DofE’s 70th anniversary. We had a double bill on Tuesday, starting post-Leader’s Speech Youth Zone reception, followed by a night out at the Beatles Story Museum.
The reception was sponsored by the National Education Union, bringing together its Arts and Mind campaign together with the Roundhouse as part of the Young Creatives Commission. Centre stage was the fabulous Katie Ireland spoken word performer, flanked by speeches from Education Committee Chair Helen Hayes MP, Schools Minister Georgia Gould MP, Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig, and Youth Zone stalwart Seyi Obakin providing the vote of thanks as chair of Youth Futures Foundation.
Our time at the Labour Party Conference closed with an energetic public launch of Young Liverpool. From amazing performances done by young people to an introduction to the awe inspiring youth workers who had stepped up to create the organisation, the evening event really summarised the joyous time that was had at the Youth Zone and Skills Hub this year. All going to prove politics can be fun and engaging and rewarding, even on the most challenging issues and especially when involving young people!
Walking the talk
We couldn’t have a Liverpool conference without having Walton Youth & Community with us on site. From give-away cookies baked by a social enterprise of young people, to the buzzers and bells in our Youth Quiz, to the podcast interviews and recordings on the bus as our mobile studio.
Topped off by young filmmakers backed by Into Film, granted media passes by the party,
recording and interviewing MPs, CEOs and events within the Youth Zone across conference. It was a real joy to have young people involved in capturing behind the scenes footage this year.
As our Youth Zone and Skills Hub have grown over the years, this year couldn’t have happened without backing by Labour staff and a team from Citadel and Kennedy Events.
Thank you to everyone who was involved and attended lit events to make this a record breaking year. Our plans for 2027 start now!
Citadel founder and director Jonathan Hopkins added:
“Party conferences can be a costly and sometimes forbidding place for many charities and some young people. We work to make events and support activities that provide value and help make the difference. Always at the party of Government and the Official Opposition, this year officially opened by the Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake, and collaborating with charity partners with some 25 events in 2 days in Birmingham.”
“2026 also marked the second year invited back to run the Youth & Skills Day at Liberal Democrat’s autumn conference. It was a phenomenal turn out of shadow ministers and committee members drawn from the party’s 71 MPs and 77 Peers.”
“Get in touch if you want to know more and be part of our 2027 events. It’s a collective platform and welcoming space, rather than a coalition. It is a marketplace of ideas and influencers.”
Contact jhopkins@citadelcomms.co.uk
