Alex joined the Community Wealth Fund Youth Panel at sixteen, one of the youngest panellists in the room. At first, it gave him something practical, a weekly routine and a reason to step outside his usual environment. Over time, it became much more personal to him. Alex spoke openly about how the panel provided structure and a positive focus, especially during periods when he was finding things more challenging
Studying Business Studies at school had already given Alex an interest in business, but the panel introduced him to a different way of seeing it, one focused on people and community impact rather than profit alone. Hearing directly from organisations applying for investment changed how he thought about what a business could be.
"I didn't understand the impactful side of businesses... you don't really get taught that."
Although Alex was one of the youngest members of the panel, he said the age gap stopped mattering quickly. Sharing dinner together every Tuesday and getting to know each other gradually built a group he felt genuinely comfortable in.
"We all communed very well with each other. It wasn't like a huge hierarchy or divide between ages."
Participating in due diligence interviews with CEOs and senior leaders became one of the most transformative parts of the panel experience for him. He had assumed the professionals in those rooms would feel far more confident and assured than he did. Over time that changed. Instead of seeing senior leaders as unreachable, he began to realise they were simply people. He also came to believe young people brought something to those conversations that professionals alone could not, a personal understanding of who investment decisions were actually impacting.
"These are humans as well. Their title makes them look intimidating, but when you speak to them, you realise they're just human."
Alex, with other members of the panel, speaking about what it was like to be part of the Youth Fund Panel.
Being paid for his role helped Alex build confidence around money too, learning to budget and save, and putting some of his earnings towards a tablet for his birthday. The panel also opened up networks he hadn't known existed and made clear just how rare experiences like this can be.
Looking back, Alex described the Youth Panel as something that opened up a whole new type of world beyond what he originally thought was possible. What began as a weekly commitment became a space where he felt supported and discovered that his voice genuinely mattered.
