Annual Young Leaders Survey 2022

Restless Development conducted its Annual Young Leaders survey with volunteers and alumni who have volunteered with us and led our work within the last year.

99
% of young leaders feel that Restless Development has supported them to develop as a leader
99
% of young leaders feel that their contributions are recognized and valued at Restless Development

The young people who lead our work are our greatest asset. There is a wide range of ways in which young people volunteer their time and lead our work; from community-based peer educators and mobilizers; to advocates, campaigners, and researchers; to online communicators sharing blogs and social media content. 

We are committed to listening to their feedback on their experience with Restless Development and improving the support we provide. In 2022, 236 young leaders shared their motivation for working with us and provided recommendations and suggestions to improve their experience.

Key Findings:

  • The most popular motivation for young leaders to volunteer with Restless Development is to lead change and have an impact (85%) and to gain new skills (78%).
  • An increasing proportion of young people are motivated to volunteer because they thought it would help them secure a job (56% compared to 29% in the previous year). This may be indicative of the challenging economic climate young people are facing.
  • The training provided by Restless Development has been consistently rated as excellent or good between 2020-2022, but there needs to be a focus on ensuring that young leaders feel safe whilst working with us and have the necessary resources to fulfill their role. 

Recommendations and suggestions: 

  • It is important for Restless Development to consider practical ways by which they can support young people in their leadership journey, both during and after their engagement, especially looking at peer-to-peer learning opportunities and an alumni engagement model that is contextual. 
  • Restless Development needs to continue to prioritise the safety of its young leaders during their engagement with the agency.
  • Adequate and fair compensation to young people for their time is important to ensure that they feel valued for the work they do. 
  • It is important for Restless Development to consider how it can provide linkages to employment opportunities for young people post their volunteering with the agency. 

What are young people saying?

Read the Annual Young Leaders Survey to learn about young people’s experiences with Restless Development.

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