Young Cornish students take their seat at the G7 Leaders’ Table in a Mock G7 programme at Carbis Bay Hotel

monday 14 june 2021

Today, 25 students from St Ives’ School took part in a Mock G7 - the very first of its kind - at the Carbis Bay resort, replicating the discussions held and decisions made by world leaders at their G7 Summit this weekend.

The Mock G7 was delivered by the Future Leaders Network, the host of this year’s Youth 7 (Y7). It saw students sit around the very same table that world leaders used for their negotiations at this year’s G7 Summit this weekend.

The students, aged 14 - 15, split into groups, with each one representing a G7 country. They researched and developed their country’s position on ‘ocean action’, before taking part in a real-world negotiation exercise to try and persuade their peers to agree to their recommendation. At the end of the programme, the students agreed the four actions that they would take to protect and conserve the world’s oceans if they were world leaders:

• Creating marine conservation zones

• Developing electrical vessel capacity, including through locally sourced materials

• Transitioning to biodegradable fishing nets

• Reducing plastic pollution including through taxation

The Mock G7 programme was developed by the Future Leaders Network as part of their outreach and engagement plan around the U.K.’s G7 Presidency. With funding from the U.K. Cabinet Office, they created an educational resource for schools to use to deliver a Mock G7 programme in their school, wherever they are across the country. 

Hundreds of schools across all four nations of the United Kingdom have committed to host their own Mock G7s between 7 - 25 June to celebrate the major international Summit which took place in Cornwall last weekend. St Ives School was selected to take part in the special event at the Carbis Bay, in light of their geographical proximity and the disruption they experienced as a result of the Summit’s strict security procedures.  

Commenting, Melany Mugford, Assistant Head Teacher said:

“This was a once in a lifetime experience to take part in an inspirational event, which allowed the students to consider how important their voices are as young people in modern Britain.” 

Madeline, a participating student, added:

“I found it really interesting. We got to talk to seniors and our points were taken well. It was great to bring up issues which prevail in today’s society, especially around [the issue] of oceans.”

Commenting, Sophie Daud, Chair of the Y7 2021, said:

“Today, students from St Ives School literally took a seat at the G7 decision making table. 

Before today, for these students  - who live just a stone’s throw away from Carbis Bay, where world leaders gathered this weekend - the G7 was just a distant occasion, bringing school closures, blocked roads and helicopter sightings. Our event brought the G7 to life - it immersed them in the realities of international diplomacy, the challenges of negotiations and the joys of constructive dialogue. 

It also showed them how young people’s voices genuinely can be heard. I was proud to be able to tell them that this year’s Y7 were directly responsible for mental health appearing in the leaders’ declaration - showing just how influential youth participation in decision making can be. 

Through our Mock G7 programme - which is also being hosted by hundreds of other schools across the country over the next fortnight - we hope to inspire and empower young people across the U.K. to know that their voice matters and can have a meaningful impact on the decisions of world leaders!”  

Thousands of students across the U.K. have already participated in similar events.  This was extra special given the timing and location, and it was wonderful to see them so actively and enthusiastically participate. 

Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, said:

“My role on the cabinet is to be the voice of young people, and I want them to challenge us when it comes to making decisions, because we can only make the right decisions if we all work together and discuss the options ahead of us. This morning, it was great to see so many young people engaged in healthy debate and ultimately working together to resolve their differences; it was truly inspiring.”

Notes to Editors

• For more information about the support available to young people in the UK, particularly our Youth 7 opportunity, please visit our website: https://www.futureleaders.network 

• For interviews or more information, including details of how you can attend the event, please contact Sophie Daud – Chief Executive, directly on +44 7788 990041 or at sophie.daud@futureleaders.network.

About Future Leaders Network

Future Leaders Network is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at discovering and developing the next generation of social, economic and political leaders in the United Kingdom. We are revolutionising the leadership development landscape, by equipping young people with the leadership experience, skills and network they need to deliver positive change in the world.

We make a difference today with the leaders of tomorrow.

Website: https://www.futureleaders.network 

About the Youth G7 (Y7)

Youth G7 is one of six engagement groups of the Group of 7 (G7) international intergovernmental economic organization, the others being the Business 7, Civil Society 7 (non-governmental organizations), Labour 7, Science 7 and Women 7. The engagement groups are involved at every level of G7 activities, including meetings with the Sherpas, Ministers and expert groups, through to the Leaders’ Summit. They prepare recommendations for each G7 Presidency.

About the Mock G7 programme

The Mock G7 programme was commissioned by the Future Leaders Network, the host of this year’s Youth 7 (Y7), which is the official youth engagement group for the G7 process. Funded by the U.K. Cabinet Office, and developed by the educational charity Young Citizens, the Mock G7 Programme aims to increase awareness amongst young people about what the G7 is, why it matters to them, and how they can take their seat at the table with world leaders by participating in the Y7 in future. It has been designed specifically in recognition of the U.K.’s Presidency of the G7 in 2021.

The Mock G7 programme was first trialled out in a pilot version of the programme in 5 different schools across the U.K. in April. This was hugely successful, with evaluation finding:

• 100% of the teachers stated that they would recommend this resource to a colleague. 

• 100% of the teachers either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with the statement ‘the learning objectives from the lesson were met by the majority of students’.

• 100% of the teachers reported that through participating in the programme students gained the following skills and benefits: communication, presenting, listening, debating, team working and critical thinking skills. 

• 86% of the students either ‘agreed’ or strongly agreed’ with the statement ‘I enjoyed taking part in this programme’. 

• 97% of the students stated that participating in the programme improved their understanding of ‘what the G7 is and why it was formed’, ‘the key themes of the 2021 G7’ and ‘the term ocean action’. 

Following the success of the pilot, thee Mock G7 programme was then officially launched in May, with schools carrying out preparatory activities throughout the summer term, and hosting their negotiations exercise between 7 - 25 June in celebration of the G7 Summit from 11 - 13 June 2021.

About Sophie Daud:

Sophie is the Chief Executive of Future Leaders Network.

Sophie Daud is an award-winning public servant, who is passionate about youth empowerment and leadership development. She began her career in the U.K. Government, where she combined her scientific training with problem solving skills to tackle some of the country's most challenging social policy issues, ranging from long-term unemployment to child poverty.

In 2016, she was selected to represent the United Kingdom at the Youth G7, the official youth engagement group for the G7 Heads of State summit in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, Sophie has campaigned tirelessly to support the development of a new cadre of young leaders, and championing their voices in national and international decision making.

She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders Network in January 2019 and is looking forward to hosting the Youth G7 in 2021 when the U.K. hosts the G7 Presidency. Sophie was recently announced as a “Rising Star in the Public Sector”, awarded by WeAreTheCity in 2019.