Young Changemakers take their campaign to Metroline

“I didn’t think you’d actually sit here and listen to us… because we’re just kids.”

After a year of training, two listening campaigns and conversations with over 200 young people and teachers, our Young Changemakers from Preston Manor took a major step forward in January, presenting their campaign directly to decision-makers at Metroline headquarters.

Since January 2025, a group of 13 young people have been working together as part of our collective action project. Through weekly sessions, they developed the skills to lead change in their community. They learned how to listen deeply, identify shared issues and build the confidence to speak up. Read more about our collective action approach here.

Their campaign focused on the 245 bus.An everyday experience shaping their journey to school. The group led a meeting with two Metroline managers overseeing 500 drivers in Brent, presenting the realities young people had shared through their listening campaign. They even secured supporting statements from their headteacher and Brent Youth Parliament who represent 77,000 young people across the borough.

Through their listening campaign, students shared consistent concerns about overcrowding, safety and the impact on their school day. These weren’t abstract issues, they were everyday experiences affecting attendance, wellbeing and their ability to engage in learning.

For many in the room, it was a powerful moment.

“I feel humbled,” one Metroline manager reflected. “I am used to sitting behind a screen and taking feedback but hearing it in person is very humbling.”

The strength of the young people’s research, clarity and determination made an impact.  

Metroline agreed to escalate their concerns to TfL and advocate for the introduction of a school-designated bus during peak times, a significant step forward driven entirely by youth voice.  

Two months on from the action, our young people sent a follow-up letter. - Wwe then heard from Metroline that they had passed on the young people’s stories to TfL and shared the experiences of the young people with our bus drivers!  

But the impact goes beyond this outcome.

Over the past year, these young people have developed their confidence, leadership and public speaking skills, moving from uncertainty to advocating for change in rooms with senior decision-makers.

Their journey is a reminder that when young people are given the time, support and skills to lead – they don’t just share their experiences, they shape the systems around them.

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