Back Youth Alliance launches evidence review and polling in Parliament   

The Back Youth Alliance has published an evidence review and polling to inform the development of the National Youth Strategy – formally launched at a panel session in parliament with culture minister Stephanie Peacock.

The BYA is a strategic coalition of the UK’s most prominent youth sector organisations, including UK Youth, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and National Youth Agency, writes Laura Cunliffe-Hall, UK Youth head of policy and public affairs. It works to leverage collective reach to target decisionmakers to improve provision for young people.  

The BYA evidence review analysed 99 sources of evidence produced by BYA members over the past five years, focusing on: 

1. Young people’s needs and preferences for support;  
2. The current landscape of youth work provision;  
3. The impact of youth work on young people’s outcomes. 

Young people face growing challenges that impact their wellbeing, skills development and hope for the future. The evidence review has highlighted areas where young people require greater support, including mental health, social connection, finances, employability and career support, safety and social action – areas where youth work can make a vital difference.  

Youth work – and the access to a trusted adult, safe space, and positive activities it provides – can be life-changing and even life-saving for young people. Extensive evidence proves youth work delivers significant social and economic benefits in the short and long term. UK Youth’s Untapped study found that for every £1 invested in youth work, there is a return of between £3.20 and £6.40 in public sector savings, through reduced crime and improved mental health, employability and education outcomes. 

The findings of this review highlight the urgent need for sustained investment in youth services. This is backed up by polling of young people aged 11-16, carried out by Opinium in November 2024, which found three quarters of young people would like to see more youth clubs in their local area, while the newly published In Our Own Words study found young people value youth work and want more investment in youth services.

Polling also highlighted that mental health was perceived by young people as the biggest challenge they face at the moment. 

Young people consistently call for safe spaces, trusted adults, and opportunities to shape their own futures.  

However, funding cuts, workforce shortages, and fragmented policymaking are severely limiting the sector’s ability to meet these growing needs.  

The government’s National Youth Strategy presents a crucial opportunity to embed youth work within national policy. To achieve this, policymakers must:  

• Commit to long-term, sustainable funding for both open-access and targeted youth services;  
• Strengthen workforce development for both the professional and voluntary workforce, ensuring youth workers are adequately trained and resourced;  
• Enhance cross-sector collaboration between youth services, education, healthcare, and criminal justice;  
• Embed youth voices in decision-making to ensure policies and services reflect young people’s real experiences and aspirations. 

By investing in youth work now, the government can help ensure all young people – regardless of background or location – have access to the support, opportunities, and safe spaces they need to thrive.  

About the Back Youth Alliance

The Back Youth Alliance was created to champion solutions together with young people for our most pressing challenges, speaking with one voice and ensuring that funding delivers the greatest impact.  Members include: Scouts,  The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Girlguiding, Onside, National Youth Agency, YMCA, UK Youth and Youth United Foundation. 

About UK Youth

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 9,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/our-programmes