3 March 2025

We recently teamed up with Happy Valley Pride to give young people a voice in tackling stigma and raising awareness about HIV, TB, and Hepatitis C. Through the Mission Zero Youth Engagement Project, students worked together to create a powerful manifesto full of ideas to help prevent these diseases and challenge harmful attitudes.

A Collaborative Approach to Change

Over 50 students from four schools took part in interactive sessions designed to spark conversation and action. Participants were encouraged to:

  • Work together to create a manifesto of practical solutions for disease prevention and stigma reduction.
  • Engage in guided discussions exploring key issues, challenging myths, and developing ideas.
  • Contribute to a short educational video capturing their voices, perspectives, and proposed solutions.
  • Inspire artistic interpretation, with their ideas shaping artwork that reflects the impact of stigma and the importance of awareness.


Key Takeaways from Young People

Some of the feedback from those participating in the sessions include:

  • The sessions opened up vital discussions, and many students were surprised by what they learned. Some of the most thought-provoking insights included:
  • Sex education needs updating to reflect young people’s real experiences and concerns.
  • Many still believe that HIV only affects gay men, when in fact, heterosexual people now account for the highest percentage of new cases.
  • Young voices are often overlooked, and students felt a youth-led podcast could be a great way to make their perspectives heard.
  • Testing should be more accessible, with pop-up centres in places young people already visit, like bus stations.


Feedback from schools

  • "I think this was a fabulous session. The video was so well presented, and the message really hit home. Well done to everyone involved!"
  • "Such a brilliant project! The video is so well done – great work!"
  • “Love this Project, it’s been really well put together. The video has great narration and insightful use of art work. Our students come across brilliantly.”
  • “A brilliant Project. Students’ were really engaged and learnt a lot. I think the video will be a very powerful tool in spreading a positive message and making real change.”


The project was a fantastic opportunity to bring young voices into the conversation about public health. Their manifesto and the creative outputs from this project will be shared widely to inspire change, educate communities, and challenge stigma.

Take a look at the video and some of the artwork produced below: