Apply for our Young Health Programme

By being a part of the Young Health Programme, you will:​​​

• Take part in fun, creative workshops with other young people both online and in person.
• Use your lived experience to inform practical, relevant content on healthy eating, wellbeing, and positive habits.
• Take part in health training to increase your learning and knowledge on health inequalities and learn how real‑life factors—like money, housing, and community—can affect people’s health.
• Build confidence and advocacy skills, learning how to speak up on issues that matter to you.
• You’ll work closely with like-minded young people, supported by Barnardo’s and AstraZeneca colleagues, to create a Healthy Living Toolkit containing practical, accessible resources that will support young people across the UK.

We’ll support you to develop your ideas and turn them into real world impact. As a group you will choose a health-related issue that matters to you, whether it’s mental wellbeing, food, exercise, healthy routines, or something unique to your community. Your ideas will shape the theme of the toolkit and resources you help create.

The toolkit you help create will be shared widely across the UK: in schools, youth groups, community spaces, and across our networks. Your ideas could support and inspire thousands of other young people, children and families.

By being a part of the Young Health Programme, you will:​​​

• Develop skills you can use in school, work, and everyday life.
• Build confidence in speaking up and sharing your ideas.
• Connect with other young people who care about similar issues.
• Take part in creative, engaging sessions.
• Learn more about careers in pharmaceuticals, health, and life sciences.
• Help shape a resource that will benefit young people, children, and families across the UK.

This is a not a paid position, however, we will always make sure you are never out of pocket as a result of your involvement. We will cover any travel or accommodation costs (for example, during the residential).

Financial hardship may mean different things to each person, but it can include things like experience of relying on free school meals, insecure housing, benefits, debt, caring responsibilities or periods of unemployment within the household.

Because this group is shaped by young people with lived experience of poverty and financial hardship, in the application we will invite you to share anything you’d like us to know about your background.  You’re in control of what you share, and choosing not to share is completely okay. Please only share what feels safe for you.

What you share in your application will be kept confidential and only viewed by a small team in Barnardo’s running the programme. You will not be asked to share your story with the rest of the group or with any other professionals. This will always be your choice.

This is a one year minimum commitment opportunity (running from March 2026 to March 2027). You’ll be asked to take part in approximately two online meetings per month and attend two in-person overnight residentials (all travel and accommodation covered).

There may also be times we ask you to complete tasks outside of these sessions, we will always communicate this with you in good time and this will be kept to a minimum.

There may be the potential for further opportunities beyond the initial 12‑month period.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 1 March 2026.

After you apply, we’ll arrange an informal interview with you to learn more about your experience, skills, and what has inspired you to get involved.

We will also ask for a written reference, this can be from a personal or professional contact. We won’t ask them to share any personal information about you, it’s mostly so we can verify who you are.

If you have any questions about the role you would like to discuss before applying, please contact us at: [email protected].