3 June 2025
We warmly welcome the government’s announcement about how the next wave of Dormant Assets funding will be allocated – particularly the additional £30 million now earmarked for youth opportunities, over and above what was previously expected.
This investment represents a significant and timely vote of confidence in the power of youth work. The scope of activity to be funded is broad – from sports, arts, and music education through mentoring and youth clubs. Across all of these priorities, skilled youth workers have a vital role to play. Every day, they build trusted relationships, nurture aspirations, and create the life-changing opportunities that young people deserve.
We are pleased to see UK Youth’s research cited by government when making the case for this investment – including our work on the long-term outcomes of youth provision and our research on youth work supports educational enrichment. These studies show what youth workers across the country already know: that enriching, informal learning opportunities outside the classroom are essential to young people’s development, particularly for those facing disadvantage.
Responding to today’s announcement, UK Youth’s Chief Impact Officer, Jacob Diggle, said:
“It’s clear the government has listened to the sector, and recognised that unlocking young people’s potential means supporting the trusted adults and safe spaces around them. Whilst this funding won’t fill the huge gaps left by a decade of cuts, it is a welcome and much-needed step in the right direction.
But it’s important that the government don’t stop now. With the Spending Review just two weeks away, this is the moment to commit to long-term, sustained investment in youth work. You cannot break down barriers to opportunity without building up youth work. If the government is serious about improving life chances, tackling inequality and supporting families, it must invest in the youth workers who make that change possible.
We look forward to working with government and the wider sector to ensure this investment reaches the frontline and supports the youth workers and organisations best placed to make a difference.”