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 issues, including: housing, digital inclusion, employment, communications, travel, and local wages. We organise meetings, presentations, seminars, media-wide communications, report experiences of Exmoor's young residents and workers and propose strategies to key policy and decision-makers.

Exmoor Young Voices - mostly 18 to 35-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.

EYV continues to work closely with Exmoor National Park Authority, local councils, forums, and other voluntary organisations who can impact the lives of young residents.

EYV Achievements so far:

80 volunteer young members, 18 to 35 years old, involved in their advisory network, meeting quarterly
1 Young Coordinator 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
Consulted on the new Somerset Homefinder application form and website
Part of the Exmoor Rural Housing Network & its Task & Finish Group for Somerset Homefinder & Devon Home Choice
Housed 15 young locals who had otherwise been ruled out on misunderstood technicalities
Have 3 small cottages bequeathed to us via Caractacus Housing for young locals to rent in the future

Trustees
William Lock, Chair
Justin Tyers, Self Build Project Lead
Magdalena Harding, Treasurer
Keith Ross, Treasurer
Marion Silverlock, Secretary

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

Advisors
Leslie Silverlock, Funding Advisor
Steven Pugsley, Exmoor Advisor & County Councillor
Jan Ross, Charity Advisor

WHO WE ARE