What are the conditions needed for young people to thrive?

When asked what young people in Nottingham needed to thrive, youth organisations unanimously agreed that access to trusted adults was most important. Although more money and better facilities were also high on the ‘wish list’, Nottingham youth organisations viewed trusted adults as vitals for helping young people navigate challenges and build confidence for the future.

Working with Nottingham Civic Exchange, NTU’s place-based think tank for public policy, we published a Research Briefing, detailing the conditions needed for young people to thrive. This research originated from a showcase event for the Youth Matters Strategy – the new National Youth Strategy, which was hosted at NTU in June. Attended by over 70 Nottingham Youth Organisations, data was collected on what the new National Youth Strategy meant for young people in Nottingham.

Youth Organisations also highlighted the potential for significantly increased opportunities. Respondents spoke about greater access to creative, sporting, educational, employment and community-based experiences, particularly where activities are affordable or free. The strategy was seen as a chance to improve life chances, develop skills, foster aspirations, and ensure that young people are connected to supportive networks beyond school and home.

In addition, many contributors emphasised the importance of involving young people in decision-making and collaboration. There was strong support for services being designed with young people rather than for young people, alongside improved partnership working between organisations. Pathways following education, skills for employment and mental health were 3 of 8 themes worthy of further research and partnership working to better support young people in Nottingham.

Nottingham is much in need of investment and improvements to Youth Services, having been identified as the fourth most hardest place for a child to grow up in the Children's Commissioner for England's recent report, titled 'The Childhood Lottery'. Spending per child on Youth Services is one of the 162 measures considered, with Nottingham spending £14.30 per child compared to the national annual average of £92 and Camden, London reporting the highest at £421 per child.

After a 17 year pause in UK government-led youth strategy, young people are now back on the political agenda. In December 2025 the Youth Matters strategy was launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to improve the lives of young people through reinvestment in youth services.

More recent impacts of this strategy include the national roll out of the Young Futures Hubs to develop 42 new Hubs by March 2029. A Young Futures Hub is a community space that combines open-access youth activities with mental health support and careers advice. Alongside this, the provision of 1000 more Youth Workers was also announced.

These announcements are pertinent to Nottingham, which is home to one of the first eight Young Futures Hubs in the County. Nottingham Trent University is one provider of the Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship, a government funded work-based training programme combining paid employment and part-time study designed to develop and sustain the youth work workforce. I have been privileged with an 'inside view' being part of the evaluation team for the Local Youth Transformation pilot – a government initiative supporting local authorities to rebuild youth services - as well as a Lecturer on the Youth Worker Degree Apprenticeship.

Whilst the tide is turning in terms of political support for Youth Services and young people, I believe there is still more to be done.

Associate Professor Dr Frances Howard, of the Nottingham Institute for Education, Children and Youth, was part of a research advisory group supported the new National Youth Strategy