The 12 wishes
Wish 1 - Children and young people know how and where to get support with their mental health and wellbeing if they need it.
Wish 2 - Children and young people have safe spaces to play, hang out and have fun.
Wish 3 - Children and young people express their views, feel heard and are involved in decisions that affect their lives.
Wish 4 - Differences are celebrated in Leeds so children and young people feel accepted for who they are. They do not experience bullying and discrimination.
Wish 5 - Everyone takes more action to protect the environment from climate change.
Wish 6 - Children and young people can travel around the city safely and easily.
Wish 7 - Children and young people know about different things to do and places to go across the city. They enjoy different cultural experiences including art, music, sport, and film.
Wish 8 - Leeds is a city that reduces the impact of poverty and helps families who need it.
Wish 9 - Children and young people have the support and information needed to make healthy choices. They have opportunities for regular physical activity.
Wish 10 - Children and young people are in learning settings that meet their needs.
Wish 11 - Young people have access to a wide range of work experience, employment and volunteering opportunities.
Wish 12 - Leeds is an inclusive city for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The story of the 12 wishes
The 12 Wishes are the voice of children and young people in Leeds.
The original Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes were formed in 2012, the year Queen Elizabeth II visited and marked the beginning of the 'Child Friendly Leeds' initiative.
10 years later, in 2022, the 12 wishes were refreshed by analysing up-to-date consultation data, including the beliefs of over 80,000 children and young people. Data came from:
- Climate change youth summit meeting
- Children and young people wellbeing survey
- Let's talk about Leeds summit meeting
- SEND youth summit meeting
- UK Youth Parliament manifestos
- Leeds children's mayor manifestos
- Community online consultations
- Leeds 2023 (year of culture) consultations
- Make Your Mark ballot
What’s being done to make improvements?
Article 12 of the UN Rights of the Child tells us that children have a right to have their views respected and listened to do by adults. So once the new wishes were formed in 2022, Child Friendly Leeds have made sure that the wishes encourage positive changes to take place. This has been done by:
- Appointing at least one Leeds City Council colleague as wish ‘lead’ for each wish and asking them to write short-term and long-term goals.
- Working with the Leeds Youth Voice team to make sure children and young people are always involved in the discussion.
- Posting updates about the wishes on our blog site and social media channels to keep children and families in the loop.
- Linking the Leeds Children’s Mayor process to the wishes, so that children write their manifestos about one of the wishes.
- Raising awareness of each wish through CFL social media channels.
- Asking new CFL ambassadors to select the wishes they are interested in partnering on, when they complete our sign-up form.
Want to work with us on one or more of the 12 wishes? Get in touch at childfriendlyleeds@leeds.gov.uk or visit the Child Friendly Leeds Blog.