News and opinion
Find out more about the latest news and developments relating to the Youth Endowment Fund and our work.
- News
News:The Serious Change Funders Partnership
In a landmark step to help children and young people stay safe and thrive, four of the UK’s largest charitable funders have come together in a powerful new partnership. The Youth Endowment Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, BBC Children in Need and Sport England are the founding partners of the Serious Change Funders Partnership.… - News
News:YEF invests £3.5 million to protect children from abuse and neglect
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has invested £3.5 million to pilot a therapeutic approach to protect vulnerable children across four local authority areas in England and Wales. The intensive, home-based therapeutic programme – called Multi-Systemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) – works with the whole family to reduce risks to children and support… - News
News:More than half of headteachers don’t know how to prevent violence
With 51% of Headteachers reporting a lack of confidence tackling violence in school, YEF says more resources and guidance are needed. In England, 51% of Headteachers report that they are ‘not confident’ or ‘not at all confident’ in identifying and delivering evidence-based interventions for preventing children’s involvement in violence1. This knowledge gap is understandable and… - News
News:Black children are 15% less likely to be diverted from the criminal justice system, London study shows
A new YEF report has found that children are being diverted from the criminal justice system with worrying inconsistency – and recommends stronger support for those arrested to prevent violence. When a child has committed a minor offence, an offence for the first time, or is at low risk of reoffending, they can be diverted… - Blog
Blog:The power of mentoring to reduce youth violence
A mentor can be one of the most positive role models in a young person’s life. By building a strong, trusting relationship with a suitable adult brings many emotional, social and developmental benefits – may of which directly reduce the risk of children’s involvement in violence. How mentoring helps prevent youth violence Mentoring can significantly… - Blog
Blog:Our latest £1.5 million investment for new research into the drivers of violence and what works to prevent it
At YEF we are committed to building the best and most reliable evidence on what works to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by funding high quality, cutting edge, research. We are pleased to announce that, as a result of our latest call for secondary data analysis (SDA) projects,… - Blog
Blog:Beyond the Headlines: Why Lived Experience and Early Support Are Key to Reducing Knife Crime
Knife crime in the UK has dominated headlines in recent months, sparking widespread concern. While the statistics are shocking, they only scratch the surface of a deeper, more complex issue. To truly understand and reduce knife crime, we must look beyond the numbers. Tools like our Core Indicators of Violence dashboard, delving into knife crime… - Blog
Blog:Reflections from the Annual Youth Work Conference 2025: Reducing violence affecting young people and driving positive outcomes for all young people
The Annual Youth Work Conference, delivered in partnership with the National Youth Agency, came at a critical and timely moment. After years of austerity that slashed youth sector income by 60%, and with Labour now laying the groundwork for a national youth work strategy, this gathering offered a welcome opportunity for decision-makers to connect, reflect,… - News
News:1 in 8 teachers report sexual assaults between pupils—schools need specialists to stop the harm, charity urges
New YEF report sets out eight key actions to help schools protect pupils from violence One in eight secondary school teachers report that a child in their school committed sexual assault against another pupil in the past term. To help schools tackle the problem, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is calling for every secondary school,… - Blog
Blog:Children’s Services Conference March 2025
Our recent Leading Effective Multi-Agency Partnerships for Supporting Children at Risk of Violence conference, which we delivered in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau, was aimed at senior leaders in the children’s services sector across England and Wales. Chaired by our Executive Director – Jon Yates, and supported by Dez Holmes, Director of Research in Practice and… - Blog
Blog:Episode 2 of Safe Podcast
As a youth worker I used to regularly deliver workshops using UK rap and drill music to engage with young people at risk of exclusion and violence. This ranged from printing out lyrics to dissect with groups of secondary school students, to holding recording studio sessions in youth clubs, to chairing philosophical debates and sparking… - News
News:New research finds nutrition programmes could help reduce aggression, anti-social behaviour and violence
New research from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) suggests that improving children’s diets through targeted nutrition programmes may help to reduce aggression and anti-social behaviour, particularly among those with neurodiverse conditions. The research was undertaken as part of the YEF’s commitment to finding what works to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in…
