Vulnerable young people are increasingly reliant on youth services that are themselves at risk of closure, the latest annual National Youth Sector Census has revealed.

According to NYA’s survey of 1,000 youth groups supporting 200,000 young people, 44% have waiting lists, some over six months. 84% face higher demand for mental health and wellbeing services. 48% report increased demand from at-risk young people, and 59% see more young people seeking trusted adults.

Alongside the data, the NYA has underlined its calls for the government’s forthcoming youth strategy to enshrine sufficiency benchmarks in a Statutory Youth Services Act, with the census showing increasingly poor financial resilience.