2025 Free

The Talent Foundry Impact Report 2024/25

The Talent Foundry's Impact Report 2024/25 (year ending 31 August 2025) shows the charity supported 68,070 young people in primary and secondary schools and colleges across England, Wales and Scotland, bringing the total reached through its three-year strategy to 178,850, powered by over £5m of partner investment. It delivered free, curriculum and Gatsby Benchmark-linked programmes in 579 schools and colleges with 24 industry partners and 1,944 volunteers, worked across 158 local authorities, and 72% of its students lived outside London. The report also launches its new strategy, Ambition 2030.

Report snapshot
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About

The Talent Foundry is a charity that increases social mobility for young people aged 7 to 18 from under-served backgrounds. Working in partnership with employers, it delivers free, high-quality, in-person employability and careers programmes in schools and colleges, so that every young person can succeed and thrive as part of a fairer society. Registered charity 1134468 (England and Wales) and SC051463 (Scotland).

Key Metrics

68,070 young people supported in 2024/25
579 schools and colleges where programmes were delivered
1,944 volunteers supported its programmes

Key Outcomes

  • 82% of young people left with a clearer sense of the careers available to them and increased confidence in essential skills
  • 90% of participants reported increased confidence in themselves and their abilities
  • 97% of educators felt the programmes added value to their careers education offer

Geography

UK-Wide

Impact Snapshot
568,000
babies reached by Bookstart Baby in 2025/26 (93% of all babies born)
Over 1.1 million
children and families engaged with Bookstart programmes in 2025/26
80%
of parents and carers receiving Bookstart Baby say they now read or share books and stories more with their child
445,600 children aged 1-4 reached through Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler, including 37% of all 1-4-year-olds living in low-income households
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
440,000+ young people aged 4-18 active members across 7,000 Groups
Key Metric 2
140,000 volunteers supporting the movement across the UK
Key Metric 3
373 Sections opened or re-energised in England between April 2024 and March 2025
0.3% overall growth in young people (ages 4-18), driven by 31% increase in Squirrel Scouts (5,200 young people)
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
55,000 foster carers and 370 fostering service providers as members across the UK
Key Metric 2
45 new Fostering Friendly Employers recruited, bringing the scheme to over 680,000 employees across the UK
Key Metric 3
95 Fostering Wellbeing Pioneers in Wales offering peer support and mentoring to fellow foster carers
191 children and young people engaged in outdoor adventure weeks through the Fostering Attainment and Achievement programme in Northern Ireland
Impact Snapshot
Young people sailing
1,224 young people sailed in 2025/26 out of 1,889 individuals reached, an 11% increase, delivering 4,716 nights at sea.
Bursary support
85% of the young people who sailed received financial bursary support; 77% had never sailed before and 21% identify as belonging to the Global...
Qualifications earned
776 nationally recognised qualifications earned, including 630 RYA Start Yachting and 126 RYA Competent Crew awards.
Young people unlocked their potential through ocean voyages, with 204 recommended to return as volunteers, a direct pathway into blue economy careers, and 12 competing in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race.