The findings of a national survey of young people aged between 16 -19 years of age, commissioned by the National Youth Agency (NYA), reveals that over half (51%) want more youth work that offers fun activities in their local area. This finding is most pronounced among 18-19 year olds compared to 16 – 17 years olds (57% vs 45%). Yet, despite a strong desire for more youth work provision in communities, 10% of respondents say there are ‘no options at all’ in their area, whilst 66% say that there are ‘very few’ or ‘some, but not enough’, with only 16% reporting that there are ‘plenty of options’
A representative sample of 1170 young people completed the survey, carried out by Savanta, in early April, providing a clear indication of the attitudes of young people towards the availability of youth work, how it has benefited them and their motivations for accessing youth work.
Youth work takes place in youth clubs and other community settings providing fun activities and support to young people between the ages of 11 and 19, and young adults up to 25 with particular needs. It provides opportunities to socialise, learn new skills, as well as explore things like identity and healthy relationships.
The top reasons cited by respondents for accessing youth work is to build their confidence (32%), to make friends (30%), to learn new things (31%), or simply because they enjoy it (32%).
In terms of the benefits of youth work, half (50%) of those who engaged in youth work in the last 12 months said it had supported their mental and physical wellbeing ‘a great deal, or quite a bit’. Those who attend regularly are more likely to report a greater wellbeing impact – 72% of those who go at least once a week, 66% of those who go two or three times a month, compared with 34% of those who went as a one off.
Alex Stutz, Head of Knowledge, National Youth Agency, said: “The survey throws into sharp relief the huge benefits of youth work to young people’s mental and physical wellbeing, self-confidence and sense of belonging – factors which are essential for young people to stay well and make a positive contribution to their communities. This is especially so when people attend regularly, enabling them to form meaningful friendships and develop essential life skills which will set them in good stead for their futures”.
Other key findings include:
- Females are more interested in accessing youth work which will support their mental health and wellbeing, with 56% selecting this compared to 39% of males.
- 58% of respondents who took part in youth work in the last year said it made them feel valued and included ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a bit’. This figure is 72% amongst Black respondents. and 80% of respondents who took part in youth work at least once a week reported the same impact.
- 54% of those aged between 16 -17 years are more likely to want employment skills activities than their 18-19 year old counterparts (54% vs 48%).
- 41% of those aged 18-19 cite social anxiety or shyness as a barrier towards accessing youth work, compared with 32% of 16 -17 year olds.
- Over a fifth (21%) don’t feel they have a strong sense of belonging in their community yet nearly two-thirds (59%) of those who have engaged with youth work in the last 12 month report that it has ‘made them feel valued and included’ ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a bit’, with a third (33%) saying that it has ‘made them feel valued and included’ ‘somewhat’ or a ‘little’.
The attitudes survey highlights the power of youth work to transform young people’s sense of self-worth, enabling them to have a voice on the issues that matter to them and also keep them safe and well. Critically it is based on a voluntary relationship and the development of trust between the young person and the youth worker, which means they have a sense of security and can explore difficult issues or challenges in their life.
At 18-years-old, Alex Johnstone, who lives in Goole, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, says that the support they’ve received from Goole Youth Action and other local youth clubs in the area has enabled them to get him through some dark times and in particular, helped them to come to terms with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and coming out as transgender aged 14 years.
Feeling safe is a big priority for Alex and it was the youth club that provided some respite and sense of feeling valued.
“I’m comfortable in my surroundings at youth club. There are people there to support you – you don’t get that with other activities, where you can feel quite isolated.”
Emily Long, 18, first came into contact with a youth worker through a boxing project called In Your Corner run by Goole Youth Action in 2023, with government funding and the support of Goole Amateur Boxing Club.
Emily explained: “The project aims to provide a safe space for young people who may be hanging around on the streets and at risk of getting into trouble. It gives them a chance to do something fun and to help them choose a more positive path,”
“If I’m ever struggling emotionally, I turn to my youth worker. Because I feel safe and comfortable with her, I’m able to open up about my mental health. You also discover things about yourself and valuable life skills through youth work.”
Harriet McCann, Director of Policy and Communications, NYA, said: “Young people are at the heart of what we do at NYA and this survey shows that we’re listening to them. We estimate that £812 million is needed to build a sufficient level of high quality, open access youth provision, to meet the needs of young people across England. A failure to invest will result in much more costly targeted interventions later on, with many more young people missing out on the opportunity to evolve and flourish into confident young adults, who are able to make a positive contribution to their local communities. We stand ready to work with the future government to ensure that young people receive the investment they deserve and so urgently need.”
