Month: January 2025

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Nominate now! SMK Awards 2025

The SMK National Campaigner Awards are back for 2025!

Each year, SMK celebrates the best campaigns and campaigners. Their interest is in finding those who have made change happen – most effectively, creatively and courageously.

That change might be in law or policy; it might be in attitudes, social norms or behaviour; it could be in how services are provided, or in the protection of a service or asset.

What all entries will have in common is the determination to secure a specific change that will make things better – whether for an individual, a local neighbourhood or for every single one of us.

And nominations are now open! 

 

David & Goliath Award

JRRT is proud to sponsor the David & Goliath category of the SMK Awards. This Award is all about the little guys. It celebrates individuals or small campaign groups that take on much bigger organisations and challenge vested power.

Our sponsorship is made in memory of our friend and former Director, Lord David Shutt.

 

Previous winners of the David & Goliath Award have included:

2024

The Justice For Omisha Campaign; one family and their community taking on the Home Office’s hostile environment immigration system and fighting for an NHS that is free to provide universal healthcare for all.

 

 

2023

Power for People‘s Community Energy Revolution campaign which co-ordinated grassroots advocacy across the UK for the Local Electricity Bill.

The Bill, if enacted, would empower community energy schemes to sell their clean energy back to their community. Their campaign gathered cross-party support from more than 300 MPs.

 

2022

A group of CYA and some of their supporters travelling to Facebook HQ in London. Photo credit: Slawomir Furgalski

The #FacebookHasNoStandards campaign from Coventry Youth Activists which sought to change the way disability hate and ableism is handled by social media platforms.

 

 

Nominate your top campaign for the David & Goliath Award now!

 

Nominations close on Friday 28 February 2025 at 5pm. 

 

Check out details of all of the SMK Award categories on the SMK website

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Evidence and Good Practice on Lowering the Voting Age to 16

In January 2025, the UK Democracy Fund published Evidence and Good Practice on Lowering the Voting Age to 16.

Ellen Berry, Head of the UK Democracy Fund, explains more about the research and recommendations in this blog post.

 

Written by Dr Christine Huebner, University of Sheffield & Dr Jan Eichhorn, University of Edinburgh, the briefing summarises key evidence on the outcomes of lowering the voting age to 16 from countries that have extended the franchise to younger people, and provides an overview of emerging evidence on what is important in the implementation and delivery of voting age reform in the UK.

 

International evidence consistently demonstrates that extending the franchise to young people from the age of 16 can increase their overall participation in democracy, and that there are no notable negative outcomes for young people or society more broadly. Research shows that young people are able to select who they vote for in the same way as other voters, with the same standard of decision making as older adults.

Votes at 16 has the potential, however, to challenge inequalities in participation and improve attitudes to democracy.

  • Votes at 16 can counter low voting amongst other demographics, having positive impacts on democratic equality and addressing low turnout.
  • There is some evidence that it can impact young people’s attitudes towards democracy and its responsiveness to their needs.
  • Evidence from Scotland shows that once the voting age was lowered, the policy became significantly more popular amongst older generations.

 

For franchise extension to reach its full potential, the below recommendations will be an important part of implementation:

  • Young people in Scotland and Wales currently have the right to vote in some elections. However, comprehensive franchise extension across all elections is more impactful.
  • Full inclusion for young people as democratic actors is an important part of implementation. Political parties can do more to engage young people, and they should be included in political debates and media coverage.
  • To take advantage of their new voting rights, young people must be on the electoral register. Currently 16- and 17-year-olds are registered at only 16%. Introducing automatic voter registration, adding young people to the register when they receive their National Insurance number at 16, would address this.
  • Considering the types of ID 16- and 17-year-olds tend to have will also be important as the Government reviews the Voter ID policy.
  • Access to good quality democratic education for young people is important. The Department of Education’s curriculum review provides an opportunity to address this, but it is not necessary for Votes at 16 to be delayed until the education issue is addressed.

 

Cover image of UK Democracy Fund briefing: Evidence and Good Practice on Lowering the Voting Age to 16Download the full briefing report here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Header image: Jane Campbell, Shutterstock