Barnardo’s and Wicked: For Good are teaming up to help change childhoods for the better. The partnership aims to raise money to make sure as many children as possible achieve their dreams – because together, anything is possible.
We spoke to three young people, Becca (20), from our B-Amplified Network, and Doreen (17) and Gracie (16), from our SEEN initiative, about why the feeling of belonging is so important and how support from Barnardo’s has impacted their life.
Why do you think the feeling of belonging is so important, especially for young people?
Becca: “I feel like belonging is really important, especially to young people, because it makes you feel warm. It makes you feel understood and happy. And if you feel like you don't belong, often you can feel excluded, and it isolates you and makes you feel quite alone.
“So, to belong somewhere, even just somewhere like Barnardo's, can make you feel very included, and it can really help you be you.”
Gracie: “I think the feeling of belonging is so important to young people because just being in a community where you feel like you're respected and people are just accepting you for who you are, is so uplifting and I think it really brings you to a more confident state of mind. I think that's so important, everyone should be able to experience that.”
What do you think helps young people feel they belong?
Doreen: “I think it just takes one person to just give you a smile, or laugh at a joke or something, and then you just feel so much more comfortable in that environment, and you open up. It just helps you feel like you've got a community behind you.”
Helping a young person feel like they belong can mean all different things, depending on the type of young person that they are. It's just understanding them and making sure that their needs are met and that they are understood on a personal level, not just as a general young person.
You've got to understand what they've gone through and what they need to feel comfortable.
Becca
How has support from Barnardo’s impacted your life?
The support from Barnardo's has honestly helped me grow as a person so much - from the beginning of my involvement with SEEN to where I am at now, my confidence has just skyrocketed. I just feel so much more proud of myself and all the things I've achieved.
Recognising that not everything is going to be perfect all the time, but there are people that are there for when things are hard, when things are tough, helps you understand that you can deal with the bad things and come out the other side and I think that's vital.
Gracie
Becca: “Barnardo’s has made me feel like I belong because I felt quite alone as a carer for my sister. But when I went to the Young Carers Group, I realised that lots of people were in the same position as me, and they understood what I was going through, and it was more a conversation about, like, our lives and what we knew, and it felt like I just fit in.”
Doreen: “Barnardo's has boosted my confidence to the max, like, now I feel so much more comfortable coming out with my hair done and, you know, feeling proud of my black skin and hair and my heritage and everything. They've given me that, like, they've amplified my voice and made me see that there is a space for me in politics. There's a space for me wherever I want to be. I don't think I could have got that support anywhere else.”
What does the Barnardo’s and Wicked: For Good partnership mean for you?
Becca: “This partnership for me is quite important because I see myself a lot in Elphaba who cares for her sister. And I feel like it highlights a lot of themes that Barnardo’s understands and a lot of situations that Barnardo's supports. So, for Barnardo's, it can help those young people supported by them to feel seen and understood.”
I remember seeing the cast for the first time and I was seeing that Cynthia was in it, and I was just, like, so happy because it's just another place of representation for the black community. Seeing that they had her hair in braids and they were involving that black culture, it was just so inspiring.
Doreen
Together, anything is possible: Coming together for good
Some children grow up feeling like they don’t belong. But when someone sees them, everything can change. That’s why we’re thrillified to announce something truly magical: Wicked: For Good and Barnardo’s are joining forces. Coming together for good.
Wicked: For Good products in stores near you!
Immerse yourself in the Land of Oz with our range of Wicked: For Good products! Available in selected Barnardo’s stores and online, while stocks last. Every purchase helps generate vital funds to support our work with children, young people and families across the UK.