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Bethia McNeilThe Youth Endowment Fund is pleased to announce the appointment of Bethia McNeil, Chief Executive at The Centre for Youth Impact, to its Grants and Evaluation Committee.

Bethia leads the Centre for Youth Impact, a UK-wide charity that supports youth organisations, funders, commissioners and policy makers with evaluation and quality improvement in youth work and services for young people.

In her new voluntary role on the Youth Endowment Fund Grants and Evaluation Committee, she joins a team of experts who will be responsible for investing £200m over ten years to fund, find and spread promising interventions to prevent serious youth crime and violence.

Bethia McNeil, Chief Executive at The Centre for Youth Impact, comments: “I’m so very pleased and privileged to have been appointed to the Youth Endowment Fund Grants and Evaluation Committee. Children and young people experience a range of opportunities and risks as they transition to adolescence and young adulthood, though we have known for some time that there is deep inequity in the experiences of different communities. At the present time, it has never been more important to make sure that the most effective support reaches those who need it most. I am eager to begin working with fellow Committee members and the Youth Endowment Fund team.”

Bethia joins the Grants and Evaluation Committee alongside Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies and board member of Ofsted, who becomes its first Chair. The full Committee is comprised of the following volunteer members:

  • Hamid Patel, Chief Executive, Star Academies [Chair]
  • Bill Benjamin, Partner at Ares Real Estate Group
  • Professor Leon Feinstein, Professor of Education and Children’s Social Care in the Rees Centre
  • Jo Hobbs, Chief Executive, British Youth Council
  • Laurie Hunte, Criminal Justice Programme Manager, Barrow Cadbury Trust
  • Bethia McNeil, Chief Executive, The Centre for Youth Impact
  • Trevor Phillips, Deputy Chairman of the Board, National Equality Standard
  • Professor Jonathan Shepherd, Emeritus Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Cardiff University

Jon Yates, Executive Director of the Youth Endowment Fund, said: “Young people who are vulnerable to youth crime and violence should be able to access programmes and support services which are proven to make a difference. That’s why finding out what works is so important.

He adds: “We’re delighted to welcome Bethia to our Grants and Evaluation Committee. Bethia has long been an advocate for ensuring we make the best possible decisions when helping young people. Her knowledge, experience and passion align perfectly with the work of the Youth Endowment Fund. She’ll be a brilliant addition to the Committee, whose advice and on-the-ground knowledge are critical to our success.”

The Youth Endowment Fund was established with an endowment of £200m over ten years from the Home Office. To date, a total of 23 early intervention projects have been awarded funding, totalling £17.1m and reaching over 36,000 children.