What have the Changemakers been working on this past year?
2025 was a huge year for Changemakers as they were involved in many exciting projects, which have sparked lots of enriching and inspiring conversations on the power of young person’s authentic voice. Over 1000 professionals heard changemakers speak in 2025 and Changemakers’ activities were discussed at four separate presentations at the European Conference on Domestic Violence.
- Co-produced research on non-fatal stangulation, interviewing young people so that young people’s voices and experiences can inform the training we deliver.
- Attened the Labour Party Conference and participated in a fringe panel event speaking about babies, children and young people as victims in their own right.
- Met with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to speak about their experiences as Changemakers and to update on projects they are involved in.
- Delivered Public Health Approach focus groups and training workshops.
- One Changemaker had a quote read out by an MP at a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament.
- Collaborated on the Echo project with local communities.
- Worked with academics to evaluate YP IDVA support.
- Spoke at conferences about non-fatal strangulation and teenage relationship abuse.
- Facilitated webinars for SafeLives staff.
- Influenced SafeLives Strategy.
- Participated in interview panels for senior roles such as Chair of Trustees
- Changemakers on the Safe Young Lives Programme Board.
What is SOS?
Sound of Silence (SOS) was a project that ran from September 2020 to September 2023, aimed at giving a voice back to young people who felt silenced. It explored important issues that are often underrepresented or not spoken about enough in society, creating a safe environment where young people could openly discuss their experiences. SOS empowered participants to work on issues they were passionate about, providing them with the platform to advocate for change. The project ensured that every young person involved felt heard and seen, helping to amplify their voices. SafeLives’ Changemakers played a key role in this initiative, engaging actively throughout its duration.
How did Sound of Silence work?
Sound of Silence was split into four topics.
- Men and boys
- The RSE Curriculum
- Young People, the Police and Domestic Abuse
- Intersectionality and Domestic Abuse
Read the Sounds of Silence report
Other projects the Changemakers have been involved in:
- In 2024, the Changemakers were given another opportunity to join Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace, this time for an intimate roundtable discussion on young person’s authentic voice. The group were able to discuss their views on tackling domestic abuse, healthier relationships and what changes they would like to see.
- Too Soon, Too Late – The Changemakers have been working with the City of London University and the VISION Consortium on a research exploring whether the age of 16 (the age in which a young person is legally recognised as experiencing domestic abuse in their own relationships) is “too late”, given that we know young people can experience domestic abuse earlier than this. This research is exploring whether the age should be lowered to 13 years old, or whether this is “too soon” to legally recognise – and criminalise – abusive behaviour in young people’s relationships. The Changemakers have been co-creating a listening room workshop for a group of young adults aged 18-24 who experienced domestic abuse in their own relationships when they were aged 13-16. The Changemakers co-created the recruitment resources, the schedule for the listening room workshop and co-facilitated the workshop.
- The Changemakers have been working on our Family Voices project – a project which seeks to embed the voices of families in projects operating within the early help system across local authorities in England. Changemakers have co-created and co-facilitated a webinar, entitled Authentically Engaging Children and Young People, to over 200 professionals.
