Confirmed date: Thursday, April 24, 2025

Confirmed speakers so far:

Abbee McLatchie, Director, Youth Work, National Youth Agency
Kayleigh Wainwright, Head, Youth Strategy Engagement, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Ruth Marvel, CEO, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

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This conference will examine next steps for the National Youth Strategy. It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to assess priorities for development and implementation.

Areas for discussion include how support and funding being provided can best be targeted, and charting the future roles and responsibilities of wider society in youth initiatives – including charities and voluntary groups, local government and schools, sporting and cultural institutions, as well as employers in wider business sectors, and young people themselves.

Delegates will discuss priorities for collaboration, including co-production with young people in the design and implementation of the strategy, and the role of the Government’s Youth Advisory Board.

Sessions in the agenda will consider strategies for overcoming barriers to accessing youth services, including pressures on youth clubs, and key issues such as improving mental health support for young people. Attendees will also assess how support will be structured for youth programmes, including the distribution of funding to communities and local authorities, the role of schools and education providers, and implications for existing initiatives such as the Youth Investment Fund and the Better Youth Spaces programme.

Further sessions will discuss what will be needed for successful delivery of the Local Youth Transformation Pilot, including priorities for growing skills within local authorities in youth service provision, key considerations for funding allocation in local areas, and next steps for building wider capabilities, facilities and partnerships for youth development. Career pathways and priorities for enhancing employability of young people will also be considered, following the expansion of the Creative Careers programme in the Autumn Budget 2024.

We also expect discussion on the role of work placements and apprenticeships, and what can be learned and carried forward from the National Citizen Service in creating an effective National Youth Strategy.

With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:

• National Youth Strategy:

o    priorities for collaboration with young people in design and implementation – next steps for allocation of funding

o    support needed for local authority capabilities in youth services – learning from the NCS – priorities for the creation of a Local Youth Transformation Pilot

• funding: addressing gaps in financial support for youth programmes – priorities for investment – support for community groups and local authorities in accessing finance
• inclusion and access: challenges for young people in rural areas – supporting the needs of marginalised groups – addressing geographic and socioeconomic barriers
• partnerships:

o    growing the involvement of key sectors in youth development, including cultural and sport organisations – support for youth clubs – charities, voluntary groups and faith communities

o    the role of schools, colleges and higher education – access to extracurricular activities for young people – increasing volunteering opportunities

• health and wellbeing: addressing mental health challenges for young people – tackling knife crime, gang culture and substance abuse – putting in place role models and targeted support
• employment: advice, guidance and preparation for the jobs market – work placements and apprenticeships – expansion of the Creative Careers Programme – ongoing mentoring
• accountability: benchmarks, targets and timelines – coordination and responsibilities – reporting and monitoring progress – assessing effectiveness of youth service provision and further options

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.

Suggest speakers or content:

With the agenda still in the drafting stage, please let us know in-reply of areas it should particularly focus on – we are also happy to arrange a follow-up call later to get more details.

Senior Participants are being approached, but if you or a colleague would like to be considered as a speaker, please contact us at speakeroffers@forumsupport.co.uk specifying the event and discussion area you would like to speak on and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If offering to speak, please don’t fill in the booking form, as this will be taken as an order for a place subject to our T&Cs.

Interested in sponsorship? Let us know, we’d be happy to get in touch.

Booking arrangements:

This a first look at a new conference confirmed for the Westminster Media Forum. To book places, please use our online booking form.

Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.

You can also pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.

Options and charges are as follows:

• access to Priorities for the new National Youth Strategy (plus a permanent record of proceedings) is £299 +VAT per delegate
• concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £140 +VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.

If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending:

• please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances
• typical eligibility: individual service users or carers not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, unemployed and fully retired people with no paid work, and small charities
• concessions are not offered to businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies.

Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).

Can’t attend on the day? Watch on-demand:

You can pre-order a recording of this conference via our website to watch on-demand when it suits you. The digital packs include:

• a full video recording of the conference as it took place, with all presentations, Q&A sessions, and remarks from chairs
• an automated transcript of the conference
• copies of the slides used to accompany speaker presentations (subject to permission)
• access to on-the-day materials, including speaker biographies, attendee lists and the agenda