As the UK continues to face ongoing cost-of-living pressures, John Lyon’s Charity (JLC) today launches a new report marking ten years of the pioneering Young People’s Foundations (YPFs) – a model that has helped protect vital youth services during a decade of rising demand and shrinking resources. YPFs are borough-based infrastructure organisations that bring together organisations from the voluntary, private and public sectors to deliver collaborative work around children and youth services at a local level.
Ten years ago, JLC created the YPF model to act as a critical stabiliser, helping grassroots organisations survive and scale at a time when many would otherwise have closed their doors.
Over the past decade, John Lyon’s Charity has invested £9 million into the YPFs – funding that has sustained core costs such as salaries, driven forward projects by getting local charities and Local Authorities to work together and unlocked further funding at a time of intense financial pressure on both charities and local government. Crucially, Local Authorities now contribute 38% of YPFs’ core costs demonstrating the model’s long-term sustainability and its value as a cost-effective, partnership-led approach to youth investment. Since 2015, these Foundations have distributed over £17 million in grants, supporting thousands of young people and strengthening grassroots organisations in a range of communities.
Since their creation in 2015, YPFs have become a vital force for good, connecting the public, private and voluntary sectors to ensure young people have the support, opportunities and environments they deserve. Each YPF is shaped by the needs of its local community, but all share a powerful purpose: to unlock funding, open doors to further investment, and create networking opportunities with Local Authorities, charities, funders and the police. In doing so, they strengthen the sector, enhance its effectiveness, and ensure long-term sustainability.
In the last financial year alone, YPFs in London have secured c.£1M in new investment for member organisations via collaborative bids and fundraising; delivered over 70 well-attended specialist network sessions, on topics such as youth violence, mental health, and SEND support; conducted 670 one-to-one support sessions; delivered training to upskill the sector on vital areas such as safeguarding and youth work; and established a pioneering “venue bank” to bring underused community assets back into use. Most importantly, they have bridged the gap between grassroots groups and Local Authorities, ensuring that smaller organisations are more visible, better connected and able to influence local decision-making.
What began as a vision rooted in JLC’s Beneficial Area has now grown beyond London, with 24 YPFs across the country as well as seven further pending YPFs and many other Local Youth Partnerships, following a YPF-style mode.
Lynne Guyton, CEO of John Lyon’s Charity, said: “The impact of the YPF model in London has been transformative, and we want to show how this type of funding model can be replicated. By creating simple, structured approaches, we can demonstrate to Government, funders, and the wider sector how a well-designed model can create real, life-changing impact for young people across the UK and beyond. The lessons learned here are invaluable for new foundations, proving that place-based, collaborative investment works.”
The YPF report offers a clear message: investing early in place-based, collaborative infrastructure for young people delivers both social impact and economic value. With continued investment and national recognition, the YPF movement has the potential to expand even further, giving every young person, wherever they live, the chance to reach their full potential.