Over £1 million invested to help organisations support young people in Wales

Education and Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles has announced extra financial support for youth work organisations.

The additional support is intended to help youth work organisations respond to an increased demand in services, higher operational costs and a shift in the type of support needed by young people as a result of the cost of living crisis.

18 organisations across Wales, including Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Wales, Young Farmers Clubs Wales, Rhyl Youth and Newport MIND, will receive the extra funding through the Strategic Voluntary Youth Work Organisation Grant for 2023-25, bringing the total allocated since the grant began in April 2022 to more than £2.9 million.

The Welsh Government will provide over £13m of direct funding to support youth work services this year – over three times the equivalent sum in 2018.

The Council for Wales Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) will receive an extra £180,000 to enable them to pilot a Voluntary Youth Work Organisation Support Scheme, providing small grants of up to £7,500 per organisation to protect the services they offer to young people in their communities.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “Youth work plays a vital role in providing young people with safe environments where they supported to reach their full potential. The cost-of-living crisis means that youth work services are needed now more than ever. I am pleased to be able to provide this funding to organisations that have the power to change young people’s lives.”

Full information on how organisations can apply for the Voluntary Youth Work Organisation Support Scheme is available here.