Your Space is a street-based youth work initiative reaching out to vulnerable young people on their own terms, at a time and place which works for them. Funded by The Clothworkers’ Foundation, the programme targets problem areas known for serious violence, gang affiliation, grooming and drug and alcohol abuse. The pandemic has only exacerbated these problems, as youth organisations have had to close their doors. This has left young people with few places to go and made it difficult for them to meet youth workers and access support.

Your Space launched in September 2020 to meet the increased need for detached youth workers due to lockdown restrictions. It aims to develop local partnerships with key community agencies to create collaborative solutions, and find innovative ways to support young people. The programme also aims to test new approaches to evaluating the impact of detached youth work, and improve the evidence base for this vital work.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, countless young people from across our network reached out, wanting to change the narrative and lived experience of the many different young and Black people growing up in the UK. In response we launch #YoungAndBlack, a campaign to create a space to share, listen and learn from the experience of young, Black people. Over the last year Citi have provided valuable funding to allow this campaign to grow, reaching thousands through our webinar series, providing vital resources to youth clubs across our network and most recently launching the #YoungandBlack awards, allowing young people to received funding to deliver social action projects in their local communities.

In January 2019 UK Youth and Oliver Bonas joined forces to create a unique, youth driven two-year charity partnership. 2020 highlighted the growing inequality and struggles that young people face, so we managed to extend the two-year partnership into a third year. During the pandemic, Oliver Bonas continued to support us through a variety of activities, from launching face masks and a range of books contributing to our #YoungAndBlack campaign, to developing a creative money-making programme for local youth organisations. Their support has helped to raise over £120,000 for the charity, and provided countless opportunities for young people in our network to develop.

For the first time in over 30 years, Art for Youth went online! Organisers managed to adapt the exhibition to ensure it went ahead, supporting artists and UK Youth in the most challenging of years. The online exhibition was a huge success, with over £57,000 raised for UK Youth. Over 120 artists took part, with buyers from across the globe. The amazing legacy from this year means that Art for Youth London can now continue to reach new audiences through an online platform. Art for Youth London would not have been possible without the generous support of the committee, sponsors, artists, supporters and angel donors.

In March, UK Youth held the first Inspiring Hope Awards, in association with UPS, with more than 1,000 guests tuning in. We all came together to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of young people and youth organisations, and to recognise some incredible supporters. Hosted by Kiss FM presenter Swarzy Macaly, with entertainment from some fantastically talented young people, the Awards also saw an address from our patron, HRH The Princess Royal. We received a staggering 355 nominations, which had to be narrowed down to six finalists for each Award. Over £22,000 was raised from the event. Special thanks to UPS and award sponsors including UR Feed, Coca-Cola European Partners, 10th Bridge Consulting, Aiimi, Aphrodite Angels, PwC and Give it Away.

UK Youth was delighted to be selected as a beneficiary of the annual Guardian Group’s media appeal, alongside Young Minds and Child Poverty Action Group. This presented a unique opportunity for UK Youth to share and champion the stories of young people and youth workers across the country. This helped raise the profile and demonstrate the power of youth work, and highlight the challenges faced by young people throughout the pandemic. The Guardian appeal was their most successful yet, with over 14,000 people donating and a total of £1.4m raised for the three charities. UK Youth received a donation of £583,000 from the Guardian, and formed a committee to distribute funds to youth organisations from April 2021.