Julia Hill has been part of the 54 reasons family for eight years – and she’s worn a lot of hats in that time. She joined as a volunteer and has grown into her current role as Project Lead. But the thing that has kept her coming back year after year is pretty simple: children and young people have something important to say, and the world needs to do a better job of listening.
“Every single time that I got the chance and opportunity to learn from children and young people, I just felt like this fire in my belly was ignited,” Julia says. “And I just wanted to do everything that I could with the things that I had to make sure that they had better opportunities.”
What does a project lead actually do?
When asked to explain her role to her younger self, Julia reaches for an analogy that feels just right for the work she does:
“Imagine that you've been asked to put together a Lego city … the project lead would get the group of people together,” she says. “We would help you to find out the bits and pieces that you're really interested in building in the city and could help you problem solve how to get different parts of the city done, but also maybe how to get it done in time so you've got enough time to enjoy it with your friends.”
Children are people, not a category
Julia’s clear about what she believes needs to change for children and young people. In a world that is becoming more insular, she sees connection and stability as non-negotiable.
“For a child and young person to know that they're not alone, and that they have a stable relationship or person that they can go to in their life, I think is really important,” she says. “But equally that they've got space to just be a child or a young person.”
And she’s firm about one thing in particular: children can’t keep being treated as if they’re all the same: “We have to stop homogenising children like they're this one thing. They're people at the end of the day, with unique needs and interests and passions, and we can't just continue to shove them in a box and treat them all the same way. That's not fair to kids.”
A full circle moment
Eight years on from her first day as a volunteer, Julia is stepping into a new chapter. She is about to have her second baby – and she reflects on the timing with characteristic warmth.
“I was so young and so fresh. And now I'm at this completely different phase of my life where I'm becoming a mum myself, which is just the most wild and humbling experience.”
For Julia, it all connects. The work she has done alongside children and young people at 54 reasons has shaped how she understands childhood – and now, as she grows her own family, that understanding feels more meaningful than ever.
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