Yell out about youth work's success

Early indications from the coalition government suggest that the youth sector may well look back on the latter half of Labour's time in power as almost a boom period in terms of expenditure on services. With the new government desperate to cut the UK's financial deficit, it begs the question whether funding streams that have become the lifeline of the sector, such as the Positive Activities for Young People programme, will actually be replaced at all when they end in 2011.

At times like this the sector needs to stand united and present a strong case for funding. That's why this month we have spoken to four well-known names about how youth work helped to set them on the road to success and why they think it remains so important today. Rap artist Dizzee Rascal, one of the four famous people included, says he owes a debt of gratitude to the Tower Hamlets Summer University programme for helping him to pursue a career in music. As Dizzee puts it, Summer Uni was "X Factor on my doorstep".