Youth work ‘sets people up for life’ – but funding has been slashed over last decade

UK Youth is calling for more investment into youth work “to set people up for life” after research revealed funding has fallen by hundreds of millions of pounds in 10 years – putting young people at risk.

The national youth work charity is proud to have been involved in three new studies, published today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which reveal youth work has a positive impact on young people’s health, wellbeing and employability, with the positive effects lasting well into adulthood. 

This pioneering analysis has followed participants for decades. It has found young people who received youth work support as teenagers were happier, healthier, wealthier and more active in their communities as adults, compared with those who did not receive youth work.  

However, despite this strong evidence of youth work’s life-changing impact, the research also shows there have been drastic cuts to funding and the availability of youth services in recent years.

Jacob Diggle, UK Youth Chief Impact Officer, said: “This research shows the positive impacts of youth work are experienced across diverse groups of young people; regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. This demonstrates the importance of unlocking youth work for all young people. 

“At a time when young people facing severe challenges – to their mental health, employment prospects, hope for the future, even physical safety – this research is further evidence we need to substantially increase availability of youth services. 

“Youth work is a proven solution to the challenges young people are facing but it is being ignored. We cannot afford not to invest in youth work. Youth work is setting young people up for life.”

The studies show youth workers are providing vital support to help young people navigate the challenges they face. 

However, funding for youth work has fallen by more than 60 per cent in a decade. The studies reveal that from 2011-21, local authority youth provision funding in England fell in real terms from £1,058.2 million to £408.5m, while the number of youth clubs operated by local authorities nearly halved in number.

And when this preventative support is taken away, young people are more vulnerable to crime and other anti-social behaviour. Reductions in local youth provision are associated with a rise in certain types of crime and anti-social behaviour, including: increases in the number of children cautioned or sentenced, the proportion of young people who reoffend, bike thefts, weapon possession offences and shoplifting. 

Jacob said: “These funding changes have immediate effects – hundreds of youth centres closed, thousands of youth work jobs lost, and young people less safe. As well as this short-term pain, the cost of these missed opportunities will last for decades. 

“The government’s youth guarantee promises all young people safe places go, meaningful things to do, and experiences to develop and give back to their communities. We need the investment to make this guarantee a reality.” 

UK Youth is proud to have been funded by the government to deliver this research, alongside research specialist SQW and the universities of Warwick and Essex. The research builds on UK Youth’s previous Untapped research which shows youth work is currently saving the taxpayer billions of pounds each year.

To read the reports in full, see gov.uk/government/publications/youth-provision-and-life-outcomes-research