Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, is asking schools, parents and carers to support a new national survey called The Big Future.

The Commissioner’s role, set out in the Children Act 2004, is to promote and protect the views and interests of children. In recent years, this has included two of the largest children’s surveys ever run in England: The Big Ask and The Big Ambition. The Big Future is her final national survey in this role.

This survey is particularly important because it comes at a time of big change. For the first time, hundreds of thousands of children will be eligible to vote in the next general election. Despite this, only one in five children say politicians listen to them. The Big Future aims to change that by making sure children’s views are clearly heard.

What is the survey about?

Children and young people are being asked:

• What changes they would like to see in their local communities
• What their biggest worries are
• What they hope for in the future
• What a good childhood should look like today

The survey is open to all children and young people aged 0–18, from all backgrounds, across England.

How can families take part?

Families are encouraged to support their children to complete the survey online.

Complete the survey here: http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/thebigfuture

The deadline for responses is Friday 23 October. The Children’s Commissioner will publish the findings next year and use them to campaign nationally for the changes children say matter most.

By taking part, children have a real chance to influence the future decisions that affect their lives.

Peter Dunmall