2026 Free

Youth Leads UK Impact Report 2025-26

Youth Leads UK is a youth-led charity based in Greater Manchester and working nationally, supporting young people furthest from opportunity to build skills, create change and shape the decisions that affect their lives. Its Impact Report 2025-26 records its highest programme sign-ups to date, reaching over 1,500 young people, with 95% of participants making progress in at least two outcome areas.

Report snapshot
4 Views

About

Youth Leads UK is a youth-led charity that believes young people matter. Based in Greater Manchester and working nationally, it runs leadership programmes, delivers social action projects and amplifies youth voice from classrooms to boardrooms, supporting young people furthest from opportunity to build skills, create change and shape decisions.

Key Metrics

Young people reached Over 1,500 young people reached in 2025-26 through the charity's highest programme sign-ups to date, workshops and in-person outreach.
Workshop participants 13 one-off skills-building workshops and assemblies delivered in schools and colleges, engaging approximately 1,270 young people.
Progress on outcomes 95% of participants made progress in at least two outcome areas, with average progress across 3.4 outcome areas.
Advocacy reach 24 speaking engagements delivered by the CEO, reaching over 12,550 people to advocate for young people.

Key Outcomes

  • Over 1,500 young people built skills, confidence and networks through leadership programmes and social action.
  • 95% of participants made progress in at least two outcome areas, averaging progress across 3.4 areas.

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
Pupils reached
63,959 pupils reached in schools across the UK in the 2025/26 academic year.
Schools taking part
Four in five UK secondary schools now take part in Just Like Us programmes.
Pride Groups growth
Pride Groups programme grown by 30%, now running in one in four secondary schools, breaking down isolation for LGBT+ pupils.
63,959 pupils reached with LGBT+ inclusion programmes in a year of rising anti-LGBT+ bullying.