Bedford College students partner with Link to Change to launch youth-led social media campaign tackling child exploitation

The brand-new initiative, which launched last week and will run throughout the spring term until early May, brings together 17 BTEC Level 3 Business Year 2 students to work on a live campaign brief set by the specialist Bedfordshire charity.

Link to Change supports children and young people aged 7–24 across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes who are at risk of, or experiencing, exploitation. Link to Change is also part of The Bedford College Group’s Employer Partnership Scheme, a programme designed to strengthen links between education and industry through long-term, collaborative partnerships that support students to become work ready. Through this collaboration, students will plan, develop and create a full social media awareness campaign, with a particular focus on strengthening the charity’s presence on TikTok to better engage young audiences.

Working in small groups, students will research key themes such as grooming, coercion, peer pressure, knife crime and healthy relationships. They will create age appropriate, accessible digital content designed to raise awareness of sexual, criminal and digital exploitation. The project includes a competitive element, with Link to Change selecting the strongest campaign to be launched across its social media platforms and wider communications channels.

The initiative has been developed in recognition that young people often respond most powerfully to messages created by their peers.

Hayley Brown, CEO of Link to Change, said: “We’re genuinely excited for the opportunity to work with Bedford College on this project. Supporting students to design meaningful social media campaigns not only raises awareness of child exploitation but also empowers them to use their creativity and voices to make a real difference. We know young people respond to other young people, so giving students the platform to shape these messages is incredibly powerful.”

As part of the project launch, Hayley delivered an insightful and inspiring presentation to students, outlining the charity’s work and exploring the challenges of running digital campaigns around such an emotional and complex subject. Students are now preparing to begin content creation, primarily focusing on platforms including TikTok and Instagram.

Beyoncé Nwosu, a Bedford College Business student, said: “I found the presentation interesting and inspiring, and I would love to work with this fantastic charity. In my experience, I have not heard a lot about child exploitation, but there is more of it around than we realise. I am excited to release my creative side, and I am looking forward to working on a campaign to raise awareness with young people.”

Lisa Tomblin, Course Lead for Business at Bedford College, added: “This is an amazing opportunity for Bedford College Business students to work on a real-life marketing campaign for Link to Change. It’s also incredibly exciting to be supporting such a fantastic local charity. This experience brings the classroom to life, allowing students to apply their learning in a meaningful way while developing invaluable skills that will support them in their future careers and help secure employment.”

Rachel Roberts, Partnership Manager at The Bedford College Group, said: “As an Employer Partner, Link to Change plays a valued role in supporting our students, and it’s fantastic to be working with them on this project. We’re truly grateful for the opportunity it gives our students to build confidence, creativity and real-world experience while raising awareness of such an important topic.”

The project forms part of Link to Change’s commitment as an Employer Partner with The Bedford College Group, providing meaningful opportunities for young people to engage in social action while developing practical skills. Alongside raising awareness of exploitation, the initiative aims to equip students with hands-on experience in campaign planning, digital marketing strategy and impact measurement.

The winning campaign will be rolled out across Link to Change’s social media channels later in the year, helping to amplify vital safeguarding messages to children, young people, parents and professionals across Bedfordshire and beyond.

To find out more about the Business courses across The Bedford College Group, visit https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/subjects/business-management/

For more information about Link to Change, visit https://www.linktochange.org.uk/