What are our members and young people seeking from the new Government?
01 July 2024
“Young people need youth work because they need a safe place to go at all stages of their development. They need a youth worker that can give them support as and when they need it.” — Delrita, CEO, Caius House
The latest NYA-commissioned survey revealed that the nation’s young people are crying out for youth work activities that provide fun, as well as to feel a sense of belonging in their local community. The upcoming General Election is an opportunity to address this urgent need and the challenges young people and the youth sector are facing.
At London Youth, we know that youth work transforms lives, and believe that every young person, regardless of their postcode, deserves to benefit from life-changing opportunities. Ahead of the General Election, we asked young people and youth professionals from our membership for their unique perspectives on the needs of the youth sector in the capital. We captured their thoughts on what is most urgently needed to support young Londoners to thrive.
Together, we’re urging the new Government to:
Provide long-term investment in community spaces and places where great youth work happens.
“My youth club was directly affected by this crisis [cost-of-living crisis] and we had to move to a smaller building, we had to cut the amount of sessions we delivered, directly affecting the lives of many of them.” — Hanna, Youth Board, London Youth
“What I want to see, as a youth worker, from the next Government is proper resourcing of the sector. Whether that’s offering funding so that youth clubs get one-to-one support for young people, get the materials and staff they need, the specialist training, or even just the space and the building so they can offer out the services.” — Jake, Youth worker, Mary’s Youth Club
Elevate the youth sector workforce by recognising, rewarding and developing their career pathways.
“Now is the time for you to invest in us and invest in young people. We do everything that has been asked upon us as youth workers and our profession. But we don’t get the same level of respect that everyone else gets.” — Irfan, CEO, Frenford Clubs
“Over the years of running, we’ve had so many youth workers come and go because we’ve not been able to provide the consistent work.” — Alastair, Director, Zest of Mind
Commit to providing a consistent and equitable national youth offer for all young people.
“My hope for the next Government coming into power is that they actually look at young people as a whole. So, not compartmentalised – for example, this is what we do in education, this is what we do in extra-curricular activities. But really look at the whole journey of a young person.” — Delrita, CEO, Caius House
“I believe that the next Prime Minister will be able to save our British youth sector by addressing various issues the youth organisations face daily and funding various youth club activities to ensure that all children can access equal opportunities.” — Hanna, Youth Board, London Youth
Centre young people in all political decision making that shapes their futures.
“It’s usually people that are 30, 40, 50 years older than us that are deciding what’s going to happen with our future. And not to be morbid, or anything, but they’re not going to be living in the future that they’re setting. […] We need to have more people that are younger in positions of leadership.” — Yasin, Volunteer, Ekota Academy
“If I was Prime Minister, I’d find it a very tricky job. But ultimately, I would be consulting young people, not just working with the people who are giving me the votes, but this next generation. And really thinking about what we need as a country to move forward.” — Delrita, CEO, Caius House
Appoint a secretary of state for youth whose remit is to join up all relevant policies for children and young people.
“Having the Secretary of State for young people will ensure that the Government is more joined up in terms of the policies and investment that is made for children and young people. This we feel, and we’re hearing it from our members as well, is crucially important and it will ensure that the Government starts to build back the decade long of cuts that we’ve all had to endure.” — Pauline, Chief Executive, London Youth
It’s critical that we also collaborate with other partners delivering youth infrastructure in the capital. The Young Londoners Coalition, jointly chaired by Partnership for Young London and London Youth, brings together our collective voice to create positive change for young people. Read the Young Londoners’ General Election Manifesto 2024
As London Youth we will:
– continue to stress the urgency of building a fully funded youth sector, with due recognition and reward for the youth sector workforce.
– advocate for the rights of young people to be seen and heard in all policy decisions which affect their future.
– look forward to working with the new Government to create the solutions and the opportunities for the young people of the capital.
To get involved in our ongoing policy and advocacy work, please get in touch with Clare MacNamara at clare.macnamara@londonyouth.org