Westminster Media Forum

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Priorities for the creation of the National Youth Strategy

design & implementation | stakeholder engagement in development | policy coordination | funding, investment & access | Local Youth Transformation Pilot | lessons from the NCS | employment support services | youth worker training & retention

Morning, Thursday, 24th April 2025

Online


This conference will examine next steps for the National Youth Strategy. It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess priorities for development and implementation.


National listening exercise
Sessions will consider priorities for the Deliver You campaign announced by the DCMS in March 2025 and next steps for maximising youth engagement with the strategy, including taking forward views of young people as part of the national listening exercise, designed to allow young people to share perspectives on support services, facilities and opportunities that they need outside of school. Attendees will consider priorities for the Youth Advisory Group and Expert Advisory Group, and for ensuring the exercise supports young voices at the centre of policymaking.


Resources and community
Areas for discussion include how support and funding being provided can best be targeted, and charting the future roles and responsibilities of wider society in youth initiatives, including charities and voluntary groups, local government and schools, sporting and cultural institutions, as well as employers in wider business sectors, and young people themselves.


Engagement and collaboration
Delegates will discuss priorities for collaboration, including co-production with young people in the design and implementation of the strategy, and the role of the Government’s Youth Advisory Board. Strategies for diverse youth representation in the creation of the strategy will also be discussed, as well as priorities for embedding inclusivity into the design and implementation, including support for young people in rural areas, disadvantaged communities, and from underrepresented backgrounds.


Youth programmes and initiatives
Sessions will consider strategies for overcoming barriers to accessing youth services, including pressures on youth clubs, alongside key issues such as improving mental health support for young people. Attendees will also assess how support can be structured for youth programmes, including the distribution of funding to communities and local authorities, and implications for existing initiatives, such as the Youth Investment Fund and the Better Youth Spaces programme.


Education institutions
The role of schools and education providers will also be discussed, with delegates assessing opportunities for unlocking school facilities for youth service delivery, priorities for collaboration between education institutions and private providers of extracurricular activities, and strategies for widening access and improving participation.


Promoting opportunity
Further sessions will discuss what will be needed for successful delivery of the Local Youth Transformation Pilot, including priorities for growing skills within local authorities to support youth service provision, key considerations for funding allocation in local areas, and next steps for building wider capabilities, facilities and partnerships for youth development. Career pathways and priorities for enhancing the employability of young people will also be considered, following the expansion of the Creative Careers Programme announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget.


We also expect discussion on the role of work placements and apprenticeships, and what can be learned and carried forward from the National Citizen Service in creating an effective National Youth Strategy.


We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Kayleigh Wainwright, Head, Youth Strategy Engagement, DCMS; Abbee McLatchie, Director and Deputy CEO, Youth Work, National Youth Agency; Michael Devlin, CEO, NCS Trust; Ruth Marvel, CEO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; Ben Marson, Director, Fundraising and Marketing, The King’s Trust; Terry Boyce, former Co-CEO, The Centre for Education and Youth; and Professor Mike Seal, Director, Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults, St Mary's University.


Overall, areas for discussion include:

  • National Youth Strategy:
    • priorities for collaboration with young people on design and implementation - next steps for allocation of funding  
    • assessing the outcome from the Deliver You campaign - implementing young people’s views into the strategy - priorities for the Youth Advisory group and Expert Advisory Group
    • support needed to improve local authority capabilities in youth services - learning from the NCS programme - priorities for the creation of a Local Youth Transformation Pilot
  • funding: addressing gaps in financial support for youth programmes - priorities for investment - support for community groups and local authorities in accessing finance
  • inclusion and access: challenges for young people in rural areas - supporting the needs of marginalised groups - addressing geographic and socioeconomic barriers
  • partnerships:
    • growing engagement of key sectors in youth development, including cultural and sport organisations - support for youth clubs - charities, voluntary groups and faith communities
    • the role of schools, colleges and higher education - access to extracurricular activities for young people - increasing volunteering opportunities
  • health and wellbeing: addressing mental health challenges for young people - tackling knife crime, gang culture and substance abuse - putting in place targeted support
  • employment: advice, guidance and preparation for the jobs market - work placements and apprenticeships - expansion of the Creative Careers Programme - ongoing mentoring
  • accountability: benchmarks, targets and timelines - coordination and responsibilities - reporting and monitoring progress - assessing effectiveness of youth service provision and further options

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons and officials from DfE; DoE, NI; DHSC; DWP; DBT; DCMS; HMPPS; MOD; Ofcom; POST; Department for the Economy, NI; IfATE; Home Office; and the Welsh Government.



Keynote Speakers

Abbee McLatchie

Director and Deputy CEO, National Youth Agency

Ruth Marvel

CEO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Kayleigh Wainwright

Head, Youth Strategy Engagement, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Ben Marson

Director, Fundraising and Marketing, The King’s Trust

Keynote Speakers

Michael Devlin

CEO, NCS Trust

Terry Boyce

former Co-CEO, The Centre for Education and Youth

Professor Mike Seal

Director, Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults, St Mary's University

Abbee McLatchie

Director and Deputy CEO, National Youth Agency

Ruth Marvel

CEO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Kayleigh Wainwright

Head, Youth Strategy Engagement, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Ben Marson

Director, Fundraising and Marketing, The King’s Trust

Chair

Natasha Irons MP

Speakers

Saba Shafi

CEO, The Advocacy Academy

Kayla

Youth Ambassador, Youth Employment UK

Andy Hamill

National Director, National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs

Allison Tripney

Community Director, Leicester City Football Club

Becky Dawson

National Wellbeing Lead, Twinkl

Kate Wareham

Strategic Director, Young People, Families and Communities, Catch22

Soulla Yiasouma

Head, Youth Service, Birmingham City Council

Mark Lawrie

CEO, StreetGames