We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.
We believe that no child should be affected by violence.
We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.
FIND OUT WHAT WORKS
Youth Endowment Fund Toolkit
We’ve developed the YEF Toolkit as a free online resource to help you put evidence of what works to prevent serious violence into action.
Find out what works for your area of work, and how we can collaboratively help make a positive change to the lives of young people at risk of violence.
Sectors
To help us make the biggest difference over the ten years of our endowment, we’ve selected seven sectors where we’ll use evidence to identify what works and what needs to change, so that children are better supported and violence reduces.
For each sector we’ll produce practice and systems guidance, alongside online and in-person events to join.
Education
Youth Justice
Children’s Services
Policing
Health
Youth
Neighbourhoods
Our latest research reports
Find out what works through evaluation and guidance reports
- Report
Report:Children and young people’s accounts of involvement in serious violence in the UK
The first systematic review of UK based qualitative research with CYP involved in or at risk of serious violence. Why did YEF fund this review? At YEF, we understand that to understand what works to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence, we need to have a deep understanding of the lives of young people. That’s why we fund… - Report
Report:Children, Violence and Vulnerability 2025
This is YEF’s fourth annual Children, violence and vulnerability report. This year, YEF surveyed nearly 11,000 teenage children aged 13-17 in England and Wales about their experiences of violence. - Report
Report:Scoping a programme of work for Youth Endowment Fund on nutrition
Background This report was written for the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) by the Ending Youth Violence Lab (the Lab) in April-June 2025. In it the Lab provide advice on how, in their view, YEF should approach establishing and evaluating a nutrition programme designed to support young people at risk of getting caught up in violence.…
Funded projects
By evaluating programmes across England and Wales — from mentoring in schools, to therapy in communities, to different types of policing — we find what works to prevent violence. We get behind interventions that are supported by robust research, evaluations and advice.
Funding good work
We fund work in England and Wales that aims to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence.
Finding what works
We evaluate every programme and activity that we fund. Our aim is to find out what works, for whom and why.
Working for change
To make a lasting difference we’ll build a movement of people and organisations passionate about making sure that young people get the very best support possible.
Youth Advisory Board
We’re giving young people a stake in our decision making and a voice on the issues that matter to them.
We can only achieve by putting young people at the heart of our work. That’s why we’ve set-up a Youth Advisory Board.
Latest from YEF
What’s new at YEF
- Blog
Blog:Insights from YEF’s first systematic review of UK qualitative research
Today, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has published the first systematic review of UK based qualitative research exploring children and young people’s accounts of their involvement in violence. At YEF, we exist to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. To do that, we need to understand the reasons why children and young people become… - Report
Report:Children and young people’s accounts of involvement in serious violence in the UK
The first systematic review of UK based qualitative research with CYP involved in or at risk of serious violence. Why did YEF fund this review? At YEF, we understand that to understand what works to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence, we need to have a deep understanding of the lives of young people. That’s why we fund… - Blog
Blog:Bridging Evidence and Education Practice
Why education is central to preventing violence Our vision of a world where no child becomes involved in violence relies on strong, proactive partnerships with education leaders, practitioners, and policymakers. Education is one of our seven priority sectors because schools and colleges are uniquely placed to make a difference. Every day, education settings safeguard children,…
Newsletter
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Be the first to hear about:
- New Toolkit strands
- New guidance reports
- New funding rounds
- New research: one of the largest studies of children’s experiences of violence.