At Mentivity, we are committed to empowering young people by ensuring they have access to high-quality youth services and safe spaces where they can thrive.

Our manifesto outlines key initiatives to support this, including empowering local councils, strengthening the youth services workforce, and addressing funding challenges. By advocating for comprehensive policy changes, we aim to create an environment where every young person can reach their full potential. 

Reclaim The Block is our commitment to breaking down the barriers that prevent young people from receiving the support they need to flourish.

Our 4 Point Manifesto

  • 1. Ensure Access and Spaces for All Young People

    Since 2010, local authorities have slashed spending on youth services by £1 billion in real terms, amounting to a 73% reduction (1).

    At Mentivity, we believe every young person deserves access to quality youth services and safe, accessible places, like Mentivity House, where they can gather, learn, and grow. No matter where they live or what their background is, we’re committed to breaking down barriers to ensure urban and rural communities alike receive the support they require.

    This includes advocating for the creation and transformation of public and private spaces into dedicated youth centres, designed in consultation with young people to meet their needs and preferences.

    It's about levelling the playing field and providing the right environments for every young person to thrive.

    (1. YMCA (2023), Generation Cut)

  • 2. Empower Local Councils

    Local authorities are the backbone of youth services. We’re pushing for new legislation to make sure they have the resources and leadership necessary to provide world-class youth services.

    This means helping local authorities rebuild and strengthen youth work programmes, which have suffered from years of underfunding.

  • 3. Strengthen the Youth Services Workforce

    The future of youth work depends on a strong, skilled workforce. We need to invest in training and development to ensure youth workers are prepared to meet the diverse needs of young people.

    This includes creating opportunities for new youth workers to enter the field and addressing the current shortage of qualified professionals.

  • 4. Address Funding Challenges

    Funding is crucial for the sustainability of youth work. For every £1 put in, taxpayers see a return of £3.20 to £6.40. Youth work slashes £500 million in costs each year by curbing knife crime, anti-social behavior, and other criminal justice expenses (2).

    We’re urging the government to restore and increase funding for local authorities, specifically for youth services. This will help meet the growing needs of young people and ensure that youth work can continue to flourish.

    (2. UK Youth and Frontier Economics (2022), The Economic Value of Youth Work)

The Centre

To underscore the importance of youth spaces in the U.K., we partnered with Spotify on our new short film The Centre. Filmed and directed by Adeyemi Michael, The Centre showcases the transformative impact youth spaces can have on burgeoning local artists and U.K. music culture at large.

Make an impact today

We’re launching a major fundraising campaign: We’re asking 1 million people to donate £1 each to Mentivity. With this million, we’ll expand our youth services and youth spaces for the next three years, guided by the voices and needs of young people.