National youth groups receive funding boost

Communities Minister Lord Bourne has announced £250,000 to give more young people from diverse backgrounds across the country the opportunity to join national youth groups.

Joining groups such as the Scouts, Police Cadets, St John’s Ambulance and Guiding will provide young people with the confidence, skills and experience they need to realise their potential, with the funding used to to promote integration through building a national network of youth integration champions and rolling out long-term approaches to developing lasting relationships between young people from different backgrounds.

Youth United Foundation has already offered over 1.5 million young people the opportunity to develop teamwork, leadership, self-confidence and communication skills through a series of activities. The announcement follows the launch of new research from Youth United which provides powerful evidence that participation in uniformed youth groups increases integration.

Lord Bourne said: “This government is determined to ensure young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to go as far as their talents take them. Organisations such as the Scouts Cadets and Girls Brigade give young people unique and challenging experiences that help them unlock their full potential. With this funding, Youth United Foundation will be able to ensure that more young people have the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence to become great citizens of the future.”

Samantha Hyde, Youth United Foundation chief executive, said: “The Youth United Foundation are delighted that funding of £250,000 has been awarded to support the work of the Integrated Communities Strategy in targeted areas of England. It will allow us to continue our work setting up new units and groups to which will contribute to the achievement of the government’s vision for building strong, integrated communities. We look forward to working closely with our Network and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to build on this success.”