IWD26 Episode 5 of 7: Stephanie Shirley
February 18, 2026
A Year of Service, Recognition and Connection: My Appointment as High Sheriff of Berkshire
March 28, 2026
As we move closer to International Women’s Day 2026, I wanted to pivot this episode slightly and take it up a notch.
Yes, IWD matters deeply but this time, I wanted to write about something bigger than one label. I wanted to write about something we are all talking about in one way or another, whether sparked by AI, what is in the news, jobs (or lack of them), or health and wellbeing. It is about society, and particularly our young people.
What prompted this was a meeting on 19 February with SERFCA (South East Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association), and hearing from the CEO about the tremendous work they do across the South East, across units, and with the people who make it all happen. It was one of those conversations you carry with you afterwards, because it reinforced something important: this model works, and it could be a blueprint for wider society.
That sense only deepened the next day during a conversation with Prof Gary Packham. Different context, different lens, yet the same message emerged: when you create environments built on purpose, consistency and belonging, young people thrive.
But the spark that really made me sit with this topic wasn’t those formal meetings. It was a conversation on a train station platform with my 23‑year‑old member of staff. An everyday, unplanned moment. Hearing first-hand how the world feels to someone at the start of their adult life, the pressure, uncertainty, hope, and ambition all mixing together… It reminded me that these big societal debates always come back to individual human experiences. That conversation made this blog feel not just timely, but necessary.
What Young People Give Back
Through our own work with cadets, I see this all the time. We often talk about what young people gain, and rightly so: confidence, communication, leadership, teamwork, enterprise skills and a sense of purpose. But what is sometimes missed is this: they are giving too.
Cadets give their time, often in the evenings and at weekends. They show up, commit, learn, contribute and build habits that will shape their futures. They are not passive recipients of support. They are active participants in it, and I wholeheartedly believe they are our investment in what I hope is a brighter future.
And then there are the Adult Volunteers. Without them, none of this works.
They give their time, energy, care, consistency and lived experience. They create structure, encouragement and standards. They make it possible for young people to step into opportunity safely and confidently. They are often the quiet enablers of transformation, and they deserve far more recognition than they get.
Why “Give to Gain” Matters
This is why Give to Gain matters so deeply to me, because it isn’t just a nice phrase, it’s a way of working. It brings contribution and growth together, creating environments where people feel both needed and supported. It builds community through participation rather than provision, and it does so in a way that is real, practical and lived, not just inspirational words.
If we are serious about reducing the number of young people who become NEET (not in education, employment or training), then we need more than one-off interventions. We need credible, repeatable models that build belonging, responsibility, aspiration and practical skills over time. The swell of this age demographic seems to be growing and not just in quantity but age!
And this is exactly where the older generation has a role to give. We have lived experience, steadiness, context, and perspective. We have the ability to pass on confidence when the world feels uncertain, to offer guidance without judgment, to create spaces where younger people can try, fail, retry, and grow. If we want a more prosperous society, it will be built not just on youthful energy, but on intergenerational partnership, wisdom meeting potential, experience meeting ambition.
The cadet and volunteer model already shows us what works: structure, consistency, trusted adults, peer belonging, challenge, encouragement, real responsibility and visible progress.
That is not just good for the Armed Forces community. That is good for society.
The Link Back to IWD
And this is where it connects so strongly to International Women’s Day too. While IWD rightly shines a light on women and girls, the bigger opportunity is to build systems that work for everyone, all genders, all backgrounds and all starting points.
So, as this is the penultimate blog before IWD 2026, I wanted this one to be about more than representation.
It is about contribution. It is about shared responsibility. And it is about building futures together and hopefully faith in our next generation of leaders. It must start with all of us round the table.
Join us: IWD Webinar at ARU
As a Visiting Professor at Anglia Ruskin University, I’ll be hosting an IWD webinar on:
Tuesday 3 March 2026 | 13:00–14:00 (UK) with Keynote: Claire Kennedy (PPL) and Prof Gary Packham.
Together, we’ll unpack:
- the history and what it asks of us today,
- the realities women are navigating now, and
- how a “Give To Gain” mindset can shape a better future practically, not performatively.
