Do you live in the Crystal Palace Park area and have ideas about how young people should experience their local park? Want to have your voice heard, share feedback, and help shape a park that's truly for everyone? The Young Advisory Group (YAG) is your chance to get involved, make an impact, and have fun while doing it!

Crystal Palace Park Trust wants to recruit 8 young people aged 16-25 to join its Young Advisory Group. You will help steer our decisions and activities, making sure we represent and become a place for younger people. 

We’re looking for young people from all backgrounds and experiences. You don’t need to have experience in heritage or community projects, we’re interested in your ideas and enthusiasm!

Who are we looking for?

We're looking for young people (aged 16-25) who live in or around Crystal Palace Park (in London Boroughs; Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark). Whether you’re passionate about community spaces, heritage, events, or just want to see your local park thrive – this is the perfect opportunity to get involved and bring your ideas to life.

Time Involved

• You’ll attend a minimum of 6 meetings a year (up to 2 hours each meeting). Some of our meetings might be online, and some will be in Crystal Palace Park. We will agree on the dates and times of the meetings after the recruitment closes
• Be part of the group for at least one year, with the option to stay for two if you’re enjoying it!
• Each member of the group will have the opportunity to attend the Community Advisory Group, which is also attended by a member of the Access Advisory Group.

What will you do?

• Share your ideas and feedback to help shape the park’s future, including our programme of activities 
• Provide feedback on exciting new volunteering and work experience programmes and community projects
• Share your thoughts on what young people need from the park and how to make it better
• Get the chance to make a real impact on the park’s future through the programmes and activities you help shape
• Gain skills, network, and connect with Crystal Palace Park Trust’s teams who’ll be there to support you every step of the way.

What will you gain from joining? 

• You'll be part of a team that helps drive change in your community.
• Get your voice heard and feel proud to be part of a legacy that lasts
• Develop valuable skills that look great on your CV – event planning, project management, and more
• Food, snacks and refreshments provided at the meetings
• Reimbursement of out of pocket travel costs to and from the Park up to the day fare of a zone 1- 6 travelcard.

Payment for your time

There are up to 6 meetings in total, each up to 2 hours, that will be paid at London Living Wage.

How will we select group members?

•  We will have a panel consisting of Crystal Palace Park Trust staff after the closing date
•  We will talk through each application and make a decision together to select 8 applicants
• We will consider diversity of members, including age, location and gender balance. 

How to Apply

Sound good? We’re keeping the application simple - just tell us why you’re interested in being part of the group and how you’d make a difference.   

You can apply via our online application form, with an option to upload a 2 minute audio clip answering the application questions if you would prefer. All applications will be considered equally and there will be no formal interview.

We plan to hold informal discussions via Zoom or Microsoft teams across the 24th to 28th March which will include the Senior Community Programmes Manager and the Senior Community Engagement Officer. We won’t be able to offer informal discussions to everyone who applies but we will provide feedback on applications if it is requested. 

Are you under the age of 18? If so, we will need to have the name and contact details for your parent/guardian to process your application. We will ask for their consent for you to join.

Deadline: 16th March 2025

Please contact us if you have questions about the role or need to apply in a different way. If you have an access need you would like to let us know about at this stage, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer any questions. Email us at volunteer@crystalpalaceparktrust.org with the subject ‘Youth Advisory Group.’