Two-thirds of youth organisations see demand rise amidst widespread drops in income
Melanie May | 26 February 2021 | News
Data gathered during the application process for the UK Youth Fund – Covid Relief has revealed that two thirds (66%) of youth organisations have seen an increase in demand for their services during the pandemic, while 83% have seen their income decrease.
More than half (57%) of youth organisations also reported that the cost of delivering their services to young people has increased since COVID-19 hit.
UK Youth launched the inaugural UK Youth Fund – Covid Relief at the beginning of November 2020. A £2m lifeline pot backed with funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), Pears Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation as part of the Government’s £750m charities package.
During the application process, UK Youth collected data to build a current and indicative picture of the state of youth services today to address the lack of insight into where specific needs lie in the wake of the pandemic.
Overall, the report highlights that Covid-19 has and is continuing to have a substantial, negative impact on young people, particularly regarding their wellbeing and mental health. In turn, youth organisations are seeing an increase in demand for their services. However, in many cases, youth organisations are unable to meet the substantial demand for their services.
1,759 youth organisations took part in the data collection. Collectively these organisations reached more than two million young people per year before the pandemic. The overwhelming ask was for funding to prevent permanent closure, helping organisations to survive and adapt to the UK’s latest lockdown.
Lifeline grants ranging from £750 to £50,000 were given to youth organisations covering a vast array of activities. These ranged from social action groups, LGBTQ+ and racial equality programmes, centres which work with young offenders or engage young people in culture and sport. 86% of participating youth organisations reported that their work specifically targets young people who face barriers, discrimination or additional challenges.
In total UK Youth awarded £1,839,652 to 118 organisations from a total of 1,169 eligible applicants. The collective funding need from all organisations who completed the survey is £52,262,170.
Ndidi Okezie, CEO, UK Youth, said:
“The Covid-19 pandemic has hit youth organisations in the shadow of 10 years of extreme cuts. The impact of the pandemic has had a devastating effect on young people and the safe spaces that support millions of them. Many organisations across the youth sector have shown great resilience, trying to adapt and deliver vital services for young people but they still need help.
“This data shows us two thirds of respondents are at risk of closing over the next twelve months. The gruelling consequences of Covid have gone on for longer than any of us could have imagined. As a sector at the front line of supporting the most vulnerable young people, more funding support is needed now. We cannot let young people fall through the net because crucial services were allowed to disappear.”
Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.