Final roundtable on meeting the needs of all young people ahead of APPG report 

The APPG on Youth Affairs was delighted to hold the final of three roundtables on Monday 18 May in Parliament. The first roundtable covered digital and AI, the second devolution and funding, and this roundtable looked at meeting the needs of all young people through youth work. It is part of the ongoing report development process on the topic of Youth Work in 2035.   

Chair of the APPG Natasha Irons MP opened the roundtable by discussing the APPG’s plan and report process for the coming months, as well as the issue at large of meeting the needs of all young people, and how vital this is for youth work. Panellists included: Joe Jakes, Youth Development Programme Manager at Refugee Council; Laura Mackay, Chief Executive at Just Like Us; Emily Green, Youth Board Member at Whizz Kidz; Yusra, Future Voices Group alumni at Youth Futures Foundation; Heidi Bentley, Head of Youth Work at One YMCA; Andy McGowan, Policy & Practice Manager at Carer’s Trust; Brian Ngure, Youth Engagement Officer at BAME HUB-UK. 

Panellists spoke about the need for youth work to help marginalised young people, as it gives them needed support to navigate the challenges they face. The barriers include not being able to access in-person youth provision due to time constraints, limited transport links, confidence, mental health, and stigma. The transformative power of youth work was highlighted as giving young people a lifeline of support, help with their confidence, and giving them access to opportunities that they would not otherwise be able to access.  

The lack of support for young people outside school was also strongly talked about by panellists, who noted that often support is only provided in school, and young people miss out when they’re at home or are taken out of school, particularly for those with EHCPs. The need to provide more information about what is on offer to parents and families was raised, as well as the necessity to continue that support beyond school boundaries. Regarding online and in-person provision of services, the benefits of some online opportunities was raised, as it can connect those who are unable to travel to in-person services and provide a safe space for young people. This was tempered by the importance of maintaining in-person services, particularly for young people to have trusted adults available in their communities and to provide a sense of belonging.  

Panellists proposed more partnership working, and also considering a more holistic, whole family approach to looking at support provision, as this would take into account people’s wider circumstances. The need for consistent, long-term funding was also highlighted, as well as the need for bolstered statutory duties on local authorities to provide youth services. Commissioning of services should also focus more on inclusion, as this can be missed and then isn’t reflected in services, and teacher training should cover the topic to embed this practice within schools more broadly.  

All contributions from this roundtable will be collated as part of our evidence collection for the upcoming report on youth work, to inform the recommendations to Government. We have now opened a form for written submissions as well, which can be found here. The deadline for submission is 12 June 2026. We will launch the report in due course.