Why Race Equity at YEF Feels Personal – And Always Will 

Each time we publish our annual Race Equity Progress Report, I feel a mix of pride, resolve and, if I’m honest, vulnerability. Because while this work is about policy, practice and systems change, it’s also deeply personal. 

When equity is lived, not just planned

For many of us, race equity isn’t just a strategic priority, it’s something we live. We carry the experiences of being overlooked, doubted, or stereotyped. We know what it means to have to be exceptional just to be seen as enough. And we also carry the weight of knowing that the children and young people we exist to serve often face the same injustices, magnified. 

Progress that’s measurable, and meaningful

That’s why this work matters so much. Not in the abstract, but in the detail. We’re proud that 26% of our funding portfolio is now led by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic leaders. It matters that we’ve improved how we collect and use demographic data so we can be sure that support is reaching children who are so often failed by the system. It matters that we’re not shying away from naming racism where it exists, or from pushing back when approaches don’t consider race equity seriously enough. 

Learning and listening

We still have work to do. Our own report is honest about that, especially when it comes to supporting smaller, minority ethnic-led organisations to access our funding, or ensuring stronger representation at every leadership level. Progress is real, but it’s not linear. It takes more than targets and statements; it takes trust, critical self-reflection and humility. 

I’ve been part of these conversations inside the organisation, with our strategic advisory groups and with delivery partners who do hard graft on the ground. And what gives me hope is the consistency of the message: that change is possible when it’s powered by purpose, not just policy. 

So, as you read this year’s report, I hope you’ll see not just a list of deliverables, but the care and commitment that sits behind them. We don’t always get everything right. But we are always listening, always learning, and always driven by the belief that every child deserves to be safe, seen and supported. 

Racial equity isn’t a strand of work. It’s the lens through which we must see everything.