Infrastructure Support in the Youth Sector

Issue:
Children
 • 
Young people
 • 
Civil society infrastructure
 • 
Activities:
Information-sharing
 • 
Co-ordinating funding
 • 
Location:
UK-wide
Stage:
Existing collaboration

Aims and activities

Aims and questions

Aims and activities

We are a group of funders working together to support and strengthen infrastructure to ensure young people thrive.

We are interested in:

  • How best to collectively support the infrastructure functions (see list below) required by the sector
  • How to ensure the landscape of support for youth organisations is robust and fit for purpose
  • How to maximise the opportunity for development and improved impact
  • How to work in collaboration to achieve delivery of these infrastructure functions

Funders meet and share information on who we fund and what activity we are aware of in the youth sector infrastructure space, with the ambition to fund collaborative initiatives and strengthen the sector.

This is informed by a smaller group of youth sector infrastructure providers meeting regularly to share their areas of work and priorities and to identify areas and opportunities for collaboration and investment.

The infrastructure functions we are focused on supporting and strengthening are as follows.

POLICY AND INFLUENCING: Influencing policy and practice on behalf of the sector and children and young people

QUALIFICATIONS & REGULATION: Helping the sector to ensure high-quality environments and relationships, through a highly skilled and qualified workforce (including volunteers)

LEARNING AND DATA: Collect, analyse and disseminate data and research to inform, develop and support the sector

CHAMPIONING: Embedding youth voice and leadership across organisations and communities and advocating through media

CAPACITY BUILDING: Enabling and supporting collaboration, income generation and workforce (including volunteer) development.

The aim remains to move to a collective vision and collaborative provision of infrastructure support across the youth sector in the coming years.

Ruth Pryce
Head of Programme: Young People, Paul Hamlyn Foundation

How to get involved

Other funders are welcome to get involved in this collaboration. Please contact Ruth Pryce at Paul Hamlyn Foundation if you are interested in finding out more.

Who's involved

Who was involved

Who was involved

Representatives from: Dulverton Trust, Pears Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Co-op Foundation, John Lyons Charity, National Lottery Community Fund, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Youth Futures Foundation, Young Manchester (moved to delivery representation in June 2020), Premier League Charitable Fund, BBC Children in Need, Rothschild Foundation and Youth Endowment Fund. 

Infrastructure Support in the Youth Sector was originally developed as part of a wider children and young people funder collaboration that also led to the creation of Empowering Local and Youth Voice in Funding. The chairs of these three funder collaborations regularly meet to co-ordinate their activities.

Learning and Resources

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