Case study: Anisia's story

Bradford’s Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), in partnership with Bradford Youth Service, Public Health and Safer Bradford, are co-funding a Youth Ambassadors programme to explore a range of approaches to gather young people’s perspectives on experiences of health and the factors that influence their wellbeing. This enables their needs to be better understood so that local services can adapt to improve the outcomes and livelihoods of children and young people in Bradford.

One such Youth Ambassador is Anisia-Maria Boldosan, a 17-year-old of Romanian heritage, who has been deeply involved in shaping Bradford’s Safety of Women and Girls campaign. In this case study Anisia shares her journey into youth work, her experiences of co-production, and her ambitions for the future.

How I heard about the Youth Ambassador role

I first became involved by attending a local youth club. At the time, it was simply a safe space for me to go, make friends, and build my confidence. I never expected it would lead me to becoming a Youth Ambassador. When I heard about the Youth Ambassador role, I saw it as a chance to do more than just take part - it was a way to create change. Being able to combine my personal experiences as a young woman with meaningful projects felt like the right step forward.

Projects I have been involved with

One of the most important projects I’ve worked on is the ‘Safety of Women and Girls’ (SOWG) campaign. This campaign is focused on changing male behaviours and attitudes towards women and young girls - directly challenging misogyny and highlighting the real impact male behaviours can have.

As a team of Youth Ambassadors, we co-produced every stage of the campaign. From the very beginning, we were involved in shaping the concepts, writing scripts, hiring actors, filming, editing, and even liaising with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA). We also worked closely with behavioural scientists at the University of Bradford to make sure the messages we created were evidence-based and meaningful.

The campaign resulted in five short films, each focusing on different forms of harassment: catcalling, stalking, harassment in public spaces, and rape. We deliberately explored the female perspective - to encourage young men and boys to think critically about their behaviour, and to reflect on how their actions affect women. We came up with slogans like, "what if this was your mother, sister, daughter - would it then be ok?".

We are also in the process of designing educational resources to sit alongside the videos, to support schools and youth centres in holding real conversations. We are working with the Active Bystander Lead for West Yorkshire to look at including key messages from the active bystander interventions to include in the resources. We have come up with the slogan ‘Just One Word – Just One Action’. For me, this wasn’t just about creating content - it was about sparking change.

Our involvement with the Safety of Women and Girls work began in February 2024. We worked to help support the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Team to launch their new strategy. That’s where I first realised the importance of young people having a voice in serious discussions.

As Ambassadors, we even met with the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, to present the work we were planning to do. That moment was powerful - knowing that decision makers wanted to hear directly from us about the issues we face as young women and young people in Bradford. We also carried out research with young men and boys to better understand their attitudes and experiences by designing an online questionnaire with the Safety of Women and Young Girls Lead. We received over 180 responses, and the insight was essential in shaping the resources but also to support the SOWG strategy, ensuring they could support local interventions in a meaningful way.

Why co-production matters

Co-production has been central to this project. For me, it means more than consultation - it’s about us as young people being equal partners in the process. We weren’t just told what to do; we helped design, shape and deliver the whole campaign.

That mattered because this work affects us directly, especially as young women. By co-producing, we ensured the campaign reflected our voices, our lived experiences, and our priorities. At the same time, including male perspectives was critical too - because change can’t happen unless men are also part of the conversation.

Filming the videos was a fantastic experience. We worked alongside a local film producer, who is also currently involved in Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Through the co-production process, we were treated as equals - he valued our scripts and editorial input throughout and was incredibly supportive. He even helped us re-film a whole scene and get new actors because the video just didn’t feel right after the final edit.

This has been a lengthy process, and I’ve personally dedicated a great deal of time to the project - leading the subgroup and taking on additional responsibility for the design and development of the resources but I have loved every minute of it and have learnt so much.

How the HDRC have worked with me

Working with HDRC has opened my eyes to the wider determinants of health. I was shocked to learn how much life expectancy changes from one part of Bradford to another, just depending on where you live.

The Lego exercise we did about building sustainable towns and cities really stuck with me. It helped me think not just about services, but about how the environment around us shapes the lives we live. For me, as a young woman, it connected to the SOWG campaign too - feeling safe, access to services, and community spaces are all linked to wellbeing.

I enjoyed working with the HRDC to help establish the key issues for young people in Bradford. This has provided us with opportunities to get involved in various pieces of research or consult with key people within the council. I really enjoyed a recent clean air session we did with the Bradford Council Sustainability Team, where we talked about up-and-coming council plans to help tackle issues of climate change and our own views on how more young people can become engaged.

The Youth Ambassadors also attended the recent HDRC Bradford Conference, sharing our experiences with the audience and playing a supporting role in gathering feedback at the event. We also recently filmed a video about the key themes which was such a laugh.

Watch the video on YouTube

My future aspirations

This role has completely changed my life. When I started out, I never imagined myself speaking to the Mayor, running a youth pride event one week and then filming a hard-hitting video about harassment the next. The diversity of the role has given me confidence, resilience, and purpose.

In the future, I want to continue working in youth work for at least another year - particularly to keep developing the Safety of Women and Girls campaign. Beyond that, I’m planning to go to university to study Politics and History. I believe that understanding the past and how systems work will help me shape a better future for young people and women.

Youth work has given me the tools to grow as a person. It’s helped me see that change is possible when young people are given the platform and power to lead. For me, this role is not just a job - it’s been the start of a journey I want to carry forward wherever my future takes me.

Future plans for HDRC and Youth Ambassadors

The HDRC team will continue working closely with Anisia and the Youth Ambassadors to promote the often hidden but powerful social determinants of health. They will capture and evaluate young people’s insights, ensuring that strategies across Bradford reflect the lived experiences of children and young people.