EPF Youth Group (Virtual) Spring Meeting 2020

by Erin Davies, EPF Youth Group Member

The EPF Youth Group’s Spring Meeting took place on 13-14 June. Though unable to meet up in person as planned, the Group’s excitement at the prospect of welcoming new members, electing a new Vice President and planning for future endeavours was in no way compromised.

Since the Youth Group’s Fall Meeting (September 2019), seven new members have joined the team, myself being one of them. Therefore, some of our key objectives were to get to know each other (albeit via Zoom!), to allocate new roles and build upon positive team dynamics. This was all achieved through creative activities, honest expression of interests and some virtual ‘speed dating’! Anastasia Seeman was elected as Vice President of the Youth Group and roles were assigned within our Policy, Communication and Social Media teams.

Through the establishment of new working relationships, the Youth Group has developed what was already a strong foundation for the realisation of its goals. We would like to continue to support EPF in revising its youth strategy and hope to present the findings of last year’s Work and Youth Strategy (WAYS) project in the near future. Results of the survey conducted on young patients’ experience of the working world will be compiled and distributed along with key recommendations for change.

Thereafter, the Youth Group’s focus will shift to our latest project. This will be an exploration into how chronic conditions, both mental and physical, might impact upon sexual health. The topic was keenly discussed by our members during the meeting and we look forward to working on this new project together