About Us - EYV - EXMOOR YOUNG VOICES

Exmoor Young Voices (EYV) is a voluntary group of young people and young adults from across Exmoor, seeking viable and sustainable ‘life’ and ‘work’ opportunities for young residents.
A thousand of Exmoor’s 5,500 homes are empty, and a growing number of its residents are retired. Young people are leaving Exmoor, unable to afford to live within the National Park. EYV is tackling these issues, including: housing, digital inclusion, employment, communications, travel, and local wages. We organise meetings, presentations, seminars, media-wide communications, and help steer strategies with local policy- and decision-makers.

Exmoor Young Voices - mostly 18 to 30-year-olds - live and work on Exmoor or around its fringes. Currently there are 80 active members helping to provide a better Exmoor to the 960 residents in this age group. Their activities include identifying self-build sites, improving skills, providing digital-inclusion solutions, design outlines, housing solutions, educational tours, and planning solutions.

Exmoor Young Voices is now registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. We believe this has greatly strengthened our position and allowed us access to further support and assistance.

At the beginning of the year, we were joined by 2 new young coordinators, Kerrie Wilson and Megan Hunt. They currently work a shared 16 hours per week and are responsible for coordinating EYV events, communications via telephone, email and social media and general media relations.

EYV continues to work closely with the National Park, local councils, forums, and other voluntary organisations who can impact the lives of young residents. After successfully hosting a summit with representatives from Exmoor authorities and housing organisations, we are now planning a summit reunion, where they will be asked to make a pledge and sign our charter.

EYV Achievements so far:

80 volunteer young members, 18 to 30 years old, involved in their advisory network, meeting quarterly
2 Young Coordinators working 16 hours a week, both based on Exmoor
Identified a range of issues in research with Exmoor young people, including housing, digital communications, transport, environment, local incomes and rents, submitted in a full report to the National Park in 2015
Secured funding from every public authority, charity and foundation serving Exmoor
Identified potential self build sites
Advised on digital inclusion, coverage, costs and continuing limitations
Addressed every major authority, forum, consultative group, conference, farming and business network concerned with Exmoor, about the issues which young resident workers face in sustaining their part in Exmoor life
Placing the issues facing young adults onto their agendas: housing, rents, mortgages, finance, planning, sites, section 106, digital inclusion, travel costs, wages
Delivering self build tours, seminars, Parliamentary, ITV, and BBC presentations
Identified with the Park, 23 potential self build sites
Seventeen young people signed up interested in self-build
Gained an expert self-builder as one of our advisors
Established connections with a Foundation able to provide loans and grants to young people
Having 3 small houses bequeathed to us, to help young residents in the future

Trustees
William Lock, Chair
Justin Tyers, Advisor
Keith Ross, Treasurer
Marion Silverlock, Advisor

Officers and Committee
Chair William Lock
Secretary Marion Silverlock
Coordinator Megan Hunt
Josh Smith
Becky Nelder
Ian Nelder
Johnathan Williams
Annabelle Gregory
Nick Hosegood
Laura Harding
Malcom Harding
Mark Taylor
Sam Camp
Robyn Gummer

Advisors
Justin Tyers
Steven Pugsley
Jan Ross
Leslie Silverlock

WHO WE ARE