How youth-led social action created lasting change

The fund created more than 5,800 opportunities for young people to take part in social action.

For young people, taking part made a real difference:

• 59% reported increased confidence
• 73% said they felt part of a community and 64% made new friends
• 71% agreed they could bring about change in their community
• 67% said participation had influenced them to get involved in other community activities.

Many projects used accessible entry points, such as sport, construction, creative arts, filmmaking and campaigning, to engage young people who might not initially identify with the term “social action”. The evaluation found that activity-led approaches were often particularly effective in engaging underrepresented groups and sustaining participation.

Wavehill’s evaluation found that certain approaches worked particularly well for engaging underrepresented young people. These included bringing together peers with shared experiences, involving young people directly in recruitment and decision-making, reducing practical barriers to participation, building in pastoral support, and drawing on diverse staff teams with strong local knowledge.

The impact reached beyond the young people themselves. Ninety per cent of funded organisations said the fund had enabled them to deliver activities they would not otherwise have run, and 89% of staff agreed that young people had become more involved in organisational decision-making. Organisations reported stronger engagement with young people, more relevant services and the development of youth forums and new consultation arrangements. Staff also described a greater appreciation of youth-led practice and the value it could bring to their future work.

The changes reached into communities too. Young people influenced organisational boards, contributed to local campaigns, created community facilities and raised awareness of issues affecting their peers and communities. The evaluation also found that youth voice became more embedded within organisations, helping to shape future services and decision-making long after individual activities had been delivered.

The report is available to read here.