20/03/2026
At our AGM last night, Ashley Spear announced he would be stepping down as Chairperson for Young Generation and Naomi Halliwell would be taking on the role. The Young Generation committee presented Ashley with the Young Generation Shield for his commitment, dedication and passion.
Naomi gave a speech thanking Ashley for his hard work and the significant role he has played in creating such a wonderful culture at Young Generation, you can read the full speech below.
Thank you so much Ashley, you are one of a kind! 🌟
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"Ashley formally took over as Chair in 2018 having directed for Young Generation and been a cast member himself many, many, many moons ago! He has given so much to the group in so many different ways.
Over the years, Ashley as Chair and myself as Vice Chair with the support of our fabulous committee, have worked hard to continue the legacy of Sally and Tony Robinson. Together, we made it a real priority to create a safe, inclusive and accessible space for young people and I feel so proud of the culture and atmosphere that we have built as a team. We are all aware of the challenges young people face day to day, we’ve worked hard to keep YG affordable, inclusive, welcoming and a genuinely fun place to be.
But the truth is that culture doesn’t just happen. It takes a team and it takes some really brilliant people who give up their time for free. But I think the main reason that Young Generation is what it is today is because of Ashley. He is passionate, caring, kind, supportive and has an incredible ability to empower you all to achieve your full potential.
Last year, when we were given the amazing honour of receiving the Kings Award for Voluntary Service, we were asked to come up with a strapline that really captured what Young Generation is all about. The words we chose were: “Empowering young people through theatre; championing inclusivity, building confidence and unlocking potential.” And when you think about it, Ashley embodies every single one of those things.
So with that in mind, it gives me enormous pleasure to have our cast representatives Summer and Isla present him with the Young Generation Shield, as a small token of our huge appreciation of the time and energy he has dedicated to the group.
As I take on the role of Chairperson I honestly can’t imagine not having Ashley right beside me. I will do my very best to continue his hard work and thankfully, he’s not going far just yet. I’m delighted and slightly relieved that he is directing Legally Blonde for us this year which means I can continue pestering him with questions for the rest of 2026, whether he likes it or not!
I’m also delighted to formally welcome Sally onto the committee as Secretary. Although I should probably clarify, her role is not quite as straightforward as that title suggests. Unfortunately for her, she’s about to become my right-hand woman! But she’s an overthinker and a doer, just like me, so I think we’ll be just fine.
After 23 years with this group, I feel incredibly proud to be here, and honoured to be taking on the role of Chairperson. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Young Generation, and I’m so grateful to be on that journey with all of you.
Finally, I just want to say a huge thank you to all of our amazing committee members, cast members, families and volunteers. You are the reason Young Generation is such a special group to be part of. Thank you."
