This latest National Youth Agency report from the Census shows that a fifth of youth work organisations have a waiting list of between three and six months and are struggling to meet demand. Despite undeniable need for these services, a quarter of voluntary sector organisations delivering youth work have less than six months’ of reserves.
The National Youth Agency has been tasked by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to manage the Census and create a reliable dataset to help demonstrate the impact of youth work and improve the knowledge and insight for the youth sector and policy makers.
The report provides an analysis of the data received from 920 youth work organisations between March 2022 and April 2023, providing a snapshot of the Sector for the third time since the Census was launched in 2021. Of those youth work providers included in the data, 754 were from the Voluntary and Community Sector (CVS), 92 from Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) and 28 from district councils, metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities.
Key findings from the report include: