Future service design project to focus on digital youth work

The National Youth Agency (NYA) will lead the £500,000 programme, titled “Routes to Community Success”, over the two year pilot phase.

Cornwall, Norfolk and West Northamptonshire are three test areas for the scheme, which will also have a strand focusing on digital youth work. The programme’s aim is to gather evidence to inform an approach for boosting the capacity of the youth sector by co-designing it with young people.

• At-risk young people build employment skills

• NYA young assessors ensure youth voice is at the heart of grant-making process

The project will see at least eight local organisations in each area put together development and training plans in partnership with young people. Each area will have a community lead alongside 15 local youth ambassadors who will consult with young people in the area and decide what can be developed.

Youth Ambassadors will have training and mentoring from the NYA. Local practitioners and volunteers will also have the opportunity to develop their skills in areas such as youth participation.

The lead organisations involved in the project are: Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum, The Benjamin Foundation (in partnership with Momentum and the Swan Project), West Northamptonshire Council and the NYA’s digital youth work team.

Helen Embleton, national programme manager at Routes to Community Success, said: “Not only will this programme build the capacity of the youth work offer in the pilot areas and support our plans to disseminate best practice around digital youth work, it will give 60 young people exposure to youth work and community engagement through the skills and experience they will acquire through the role.”

Bex Perry, digital youth work development manager at the NYA, said: “The Routes to Community Success project signals the start of delivering on our strategic priority to collating best practice in digital youth work and supporting the sector to utilise these emerging technologies. These beacon sites will help evidence the ways that digital can enable more young people, particularly those facing barriers, to access the support and personal growth opportunities that youth work offers.”

An independent evaluation of the programme will also be undertaken with a report set to be published in spring 2025.