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About the Youth Endowment Fund

Our strategy
Our core beliefs

The Youth Endowment Fund believes 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.

Our vision and mission

Our vision
A world where no child or young person becomes involved in violence.

Our mission
We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Why violence affecting children matters

All of us will experience violence at some point in our lives. For many children, it is a daily reality. Each year, tens of children are killed, hundreds are hospitalised, 1 in 5 teenage children are victims and the majority admit to feeling afraid of violence. It scares them when they travel home from school, prevents them from going out and makes the most vulnerable feel like they don’t matter. It is taking lives, traumatising families and dividing communities. It robs potential, progress and hope. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Explore our annual Children, violence and vulnerability reports

What we do

  1. We research violence

Producing the most reliable data, research and guidance, we try to understand why violence happens, who it affects and how best to stop it. Our publications and resources support those working in our sectors to understand these things. Our annual Children, Violence and Vulnerability report sources insights from the largest survey of teenagers about their experiences of violence ever done.

2. We find, fund and test what works

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. We do not guess or assume what works. We test it, prove it and encourage others to use it. The YEF Toolkit is the largest resource of violence interventions in the world.

3. We are building a movement

By advocating for change across seven sectors in England and Wales — education, youth justice, youth sector, policing, children’s services, health and neighbourhoods — we influence decision-making, improve systems and inform practice. We advise different departments of government on how to use the best evidence. We make our work accessible through digital channels and media storytelling. We raise awareness about violence and how to prevent it across society.

What we believe

The following are 10 core beliefs that YEF holds about the world. These aim to be unchanging, grounded in our mission and motivating — internally to staff, and externally to audience members who engage with us:

  • Violence is not inevitable.
  • Every child deserves a life free from violence.
  • All adults have a responsibility to keep young people safe.
  • Decisions about how to prevent violence should be informed by the best evidence.
  • Decision-makers should understand and represent young people they serve.
  • Preventing violence before it happens is best, but preventing it before it happens again is also necessary.
  • Multiple sectors are required to solve social problems like violence.
  • We have to be serious about the disproportionality of violence to deliver on reducing violence.
  • Violence is traumatic and should be tackled with compassion, respect and care.
  • We have the genuine ability to significantly and measurably shift the dial in preventing violence.
Learn more about what we believe

Join us

There are a number of ways you can get involved in building a movement:

The Youth Endowment Fund was established in March 2019 by children’s charity Impetus, with a £200m endowment and ten year mandate from the Home Office.

© 2026 The Youth Endowment Fund Charitable Trust. Registered Charity Number: 1185413.