The Suffolk Show is always a highlight of our year, but this year’s event felt particularly special.
Over two incredible days, we had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people, share the work we do with young people across Suffolk, strengthen existing partnerships and, most importantly, create space for young people’s voices to be heard.
From meaningful conversations in our tipi to our Youth Voice Hackathon, the Suffolk Show demonstrated what can happen when communities, businesses, charities and young people come together with a shared purpose.
Giving Young People a Voice
One of the highlights of the show was our Youth Voice Hackathon, delivered in partnership with the iWill Movement and Volunteering Matters.
The Hackathon brought together young people from across Suffolk to share their experiences, discuss the issues that matter most to them and help shape ideas for positive change. Their honesty, creativity and passion were inspiring, and the insights gathered will help inform future conversations and decision-making.
We believe that young people should be at the heart of decisions that affect their lives, and the Hackathon was a powerful reminder of just how much young people have to contribute when they are given the opportunity to speak and be heard.
It Takes a Community
Events like this don’t happen on their own, and we are incredibly grateful to the many people and organisations who helped make our Suffolk Show presence such a success.
A huge thank you to Suffolk Food Hall for generously providing lunches for the young people attending the show. Their support ensured our young people could focus on participating, contributing and making the most of the experience.
We’re also enormously grateful to Pound Gates for sponsoring our drinks reception. Their support helped create a fantastic opportunity for partners, supporters and friends of Inspire to come together, celebrate our work and discuss how we can continue supporting young people across Suffolk.
Our sincere thanks also go to trustee James Buckle, whose generosity in providing drinks and nibbles for the reception helped create such a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere. James’s continued commitment to Inspire and the young people we support is deeply appreciated.
No reception would be complete without great coffee, so we’d like to extend our thanks to Paddy & Scott’s for helping keep guests refreshed throughout the evening.
We are also incredibly grateful to Events Under Canvas for providing the beautiful tipi that became the heart of our Suffolk Show presence. It offered a welcoming, relaxed and engaging space where visitors could connect, learn more about our work and take part in important conversations.
Removing Barriers to Participation
One of our priorities is ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all young people, regardless of where they live or the challenges they may face.
That’s why we are so thankful to trustee Jules Shurrock, who generously provided a minibus so that young people from Lowestoft could attend and participate in the Hackathon and wider show activities. Opportunities like these can make a lasting difference, and we’re incredibly grateful for Jules’s support.
We would also like to thank Phillip Ainsworth and the Suffolk Show team for providing free entry tickets for our young people. Their generosity helped ensure more young people could attend, engage with the event and have their voices represented.
Thank You to Our Young People
While many people helped make the event possible, the real stars of the Suffolk Show were the young people themselves.
Thank you for giving your time, sharing your experiences, asking difficult questions, generating brilliant ideas and reminding us why youth voice matters.
Your energy, enthusiasm and honesty made the Hackathon a success and inspired everyone who had the privilege of hearing your perspectives.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on an unforgettable Suffolk Show, we’re reminded that meaningful change happens when communities come together and when young people are given the platform they deserve.
To everyone who visited us, partnered with us, supported us, sponsored us or volunteered their time: thank you.
Together, we are helping to build a Suffolk where young people are heard, valued and empowered to shape the future.
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