£17.8m partnership to strengthen youth work and unlock opportunities for young people across England
02 November 2026
A major new partnership will strengthen the support, skills and connections that make great youth work possible, helping more young people across England have somewhere to go, a trusted adult to speak to and opportunities and support in their communities.
Backed by £17.8 million from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Youth Sector Development Partnership will build a stronger, more diverse and sustainable youth sector through training, leadership development, bursaries, apprenticeships and peer networks.
With nearly 1 million young people not in education, employment or training in the UK, youth organisations are responding to increasing demand and growing concerns. This partnership will help ensure youth workers and organisations have the leadership, expertise and support needed to respond to local challenges and help young people thrive.
Led by UK Youth, the partnership brings together the National Youth Agency, Young People's Foundation Trust, TRIUMPH and regional partners to expand opportunities and support for youth workers and youth organisations across England.
Dedicated investment and specialist support will also help address barriers linked to race, disability, class and LGBTQ+ inclusion, ensuring more people can access opportunities to develop and progress within the sector.
The Youth Sector Development Partnership aims to put communities at the heart of decision-making, recognising that local organisations, leaders and young people themselves are best placed to understand the opportunities and challenges facing their area.
This is the first significant investment in youth sector infrastructure for more than a decade, which the government committed to in its National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters. The strategy, launched in December 2025 and shaped by more than 14,000 young people, served as a landmark commitment to giving young people the support and opportunities they need to build a positive future.
For young people, the impact of this investment should be felt in everyday life - through youth clubs that stay open, youth workers who understand their backgrounds and experiences, and safe spaces where they can build relationships, feel a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness and isolation.
Kicking off Youth Work Week the announcement builds on the government's commitment last month to recruit 1,000 new youth workers – a first step towards rebuilding the youth workforce. The first workers are expected to be in post by spring 2027, as part of the government's wider plan to strengthen support for young people ahead of the social media ban for under-16s coming into force.
The government's £450 million Youth Matters Fund programme will also fund youth work and activities, as well as supporting the construction and renovation of thousands more youth facilities. Its Every Child Can fund will provide more opportunities for young people through art, sport, music, dance or drama.
"Every young person should have somewhere to go and a trusted adult to turn to, and it's youth workers who make that happen. As we mark youth work week, I want to thank everyone who does this vital work in communities across the country. "The partnership we are announcing today will create new routes into youth work, building stronger career pathways and making sure the sector reflects the young people it serves. We’re putting local organisations and young people at the heart of decision making and making sure support is shaped around what each community needs. "Investing in youth work is a key part of our wider investment in young people through the government’s National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, helping them to build confidence, find opportunities and look to the future with hope." The Youth Sector Development Partnership will provide support for youth workers, youth organisations and regional networks across all 9 regions of England. Through multi-year investment and locally led partnerships, enabling organisations and communities to shape local provision and opportunities around local needs. The partnerships will help organisations work together, share learning and build stronger local networks while benefiting from a nationally connected programme.
Vicky Foxcroft - Minister For Civil Society and Youth
“We know that great youth work changes lives, unleashing youth power and helping young people to thrive. That’s why we are supporting this partnership with nearly £10 million, thanks to National Lottery players, so that young people can build relationships with trusted adults and have opportunities to learn and develop confidence and skills. "At a time when so many young people are feeling disconnected from opportunity, it has never been more important to help them build aspirations, develop resilience and connect with opportunities that can shape their futures. This investment will back the people and organisations working alongside young people, giving them a voice, and helping them to realise their potential.”
Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE - Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund
“Every young person deserves a trusted adult and a safe space to learn and grow. Youth workers make that happen every day, in youth clubs, community centres, parks, and online, often against the odds. The Youth Sector Development Partnership has been designed in direct response to what youth organisations, youth workers, and young people told us they needed.” “At the heart of the partnership will be 9 regional infrastructure partnerships, one in each region of England. Each will bring together the organisations that hold the sector together locally. Every region will receive the same core investment and work towards the same outcomes, while setting its own priorities based on what local youth organisations and young people say they need. We will work with communities to continue to evolve and improve the programme. Our role nationally includes connecting the regions, so good ideas spread and nobody has to reinvent the wheel.” “By taking young people seriously – and showing up for them again and again – we know we can make the future better.”
Rosie Ferguson OBE - CEO of UK Youth
"Every young person across the country should be able to access great youth work, wherever they live. That relies on having the right people, in the right place, at the right time, with the skills and support they need. "Youth workers do incredibly skilled and important work, and we need to invest in them accordingly. This partnership enables us to bring together the right people, knowledge and resources to strengthen the workforce, create pathways into youth work and support development throughout careers. This means we have a stronger, more sustainable workforce that can be there for young people when they need it." The Youth Sector Development Partnership will begin with a development phase to establish regional partnerships and work with young people, youth workers and organisations to shape priorities ahead of three years of delivery across England. Youth workers, organisations and partners across England will have opportunities to help shape the programme as it develops.
Abbee McLatchie - Interim CEO, National Youth Agency