Meet the members

Meet some of the members of the Young People's Forum (YPF) at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and find out why they joined.

"Hi, my name is George. I became part of the forum in 2012, when it was first created, so I have been here right from the start!

The YPF is a great place for young people to meet. We all share a passion to help GOSH and we all strive to make a positive contribution to the future of the hospital. The experience and insight we young people bring, all helps GOSH develop and deliver even better services.

The YPF have become involved with many projects, such as helping to redesign the Teenagers section of the website, working with PICU to make it more teen friendly and ensuring that hospital gowns are suitable for young people.

All of these projects make a real difference for young people who come to GOSH.”

“Hi, I’m Hannah. I joined the YPF in 2012 when we came together to meet for the first time!

I was admitted to GOSH when I was fourteen because of a rare condition. When I was invited to join the YPF, I was so excited to make a positive change within the hospital and to improve patient experience for teens.

I’ve had the best few years of my life as part of the YPF. We have been given opportunities to make a difference in the lives of patients by sharing our thoughts and opinions with staff and board members.

Also, we have been offered a lot of sessions to develop skills in team work and public speaking. On top of all of these things, the YPF is a great way to make friends. I love the social aspect of the meetings; I always look forward to catching up with friends as well as working to make a difference at GOSH, a place that means a lot to me.”

"I joined the YPF in October 2012, so I am privileged to say that I have been a member from the start. As a GOSH patient, I wanted to give something back to the hospital for all the work they did for me – as a way of saying thank you.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed taking an active role in the work that the YPF have done, particularly visiting the Intensive Care Unit at GOSH and suggesting ways to improve the care for teenagers on this ward. I really felt like the forum was helping to introduce a real improvement in the hospital by doing this.

"I would encourage other young people to join the YPF as it is a great way to have your own say and to voice your opinion. Not only this, but the forum is enabling the hospital to flourish and improve for other young people, and it's remarkable to be a part of it."

"I joined the YPF a little over a year ago. I had been in and out of hospital since the age of three with various different problems. From a young age, I decided that I too wanted to work as a nurse or work with teenagers, partly because of the nurses who helped me when I was ill. I thought the YPF was a great way to give back and also influence the hospital from a patient's viewpoint.

"The biggest thing I think we've achieved was within 'take over week' at the hospital. Not only do I think we learned more about the roles of different staff and helped to entertain some of the kids, I think we were able to influence some of the staff, such as in the Hospital School.

"If you've ever experienced hospital life or know of someone who has, and you feel passionate about making it as comfortable and as easy for them as you can, I'd encourage you to join the YPF. That's kind of our aim, to make staying at GOSH as enjoyable as it can be. Plus, new views and opinions are always welcomed and encouraged!"

"I am currently a member of the YPF and have been for the last year or so. Although I have never actually been treated at GOSH, I have always been very interested by this extraordinary hospital that is so nearby to where I live. As soon as I found out it had a YPF, I immediately proceeded to join!

"Over the last year I have been given so many amazing opportunities, for example working with the Redevelopment Team at GOSH, which has been such a fun and interesting experience. It’s so rewarding when you and the rest of the forum collaborate to produce ideas and opinions, which are then used by professionals.

"Since joining the YPF, I have learnt so much about GOSH itself and hospitals in general. My first year has been absolutely fantastic and I’m really looking forward to future projects. I would really encourage any young person interested in making a difference at GOSH to join the YPF. It gives you some really great experiences and introduces you to so many wonderful people!"