Priorities for a National Youth Strategy
WESTMINSTER MEDIA FORUM: Andy Hamill – Thursday 24th April 2025
Hello Everyone. It’s great to have the opportunity to speak to you all this morning.
My name is Andy Hamill and I am the National Director of the National Association of Boys & Girls Clubs.
By way of a brief introduction, the Boys & Girls Clubs movement have been in existence for around 150-years with our first clubs being formed in the early-to-mid-1800’s.
Today, Boys & Girls Clubs are the charity in the UK supporting local, grassroots, voluntary youth clubs. Through our 20-member organisations we provide positive activities , training, education and personal development opportunities to over 300,000 young people.
We also provide training, support, advice and networking opportunities to around 15,000 staff and volunteers, in 3,000 youth clubs – all in the most deprived communities.
In addition, we offer a national programme of events that seeks to bring together young people, staff and volunteers from many and diverse communities from across the country.
We are also the UK member of the World Youth Clubs, allowing our members, their clubs, volunteers and young people to access a global range of programmes, resources, networks and exchange opportunities.
We have been asked to what our priorities are for the new National Youth Strategy that is being developed. So, I have tried to put my thoughts into 3 short and simple points.
Firstly, do something. Please do something. That is to say invest in things that make a genuine difference in young lives. We can consult and strategize, and we have done extensively over recent years, but what is needed now is investment in activities, programmes, services that make a tangible difference in young people’s lives.
And, indeed, all the evidence and feedback suggests that this is what young people want. – safe, affordable and accessible places to go, positive activities to participate in and positive adult role models.
Secondly, build back better. Now is a great opportunity to build back better. We have before us a new page, a blank sheet of paper if you like, and there is a great opportunity for taking some brave, bold and courageous decisions. And at Boys & Girls Clubs we would encourage this government to not simply build back what was there before.
Don’t put all your eggs in one local authority basket and into what has proven to be an unsustainable model and which has all but disappeared over the last 20-years or so.
At Boys & Girls Clubs we can point to a proven, sustainable and impactful model.
We have member organisations that have been in existence for 50+ years. Local, voluntary youth clubs that have been in existence for 10, 50, 100 and 150-years. They have survived under-investment for the last 40 or 50 years, not just the austerity of the last 20 years. They have survived COVID and post-COVID, pretty much they are the last ones standing.
So, build back better and invest in the voluntary sector as well. Resource us properly and allow us to do more and increase our impact.
My final point is this.
It’s great that the proposed strategy will be a 10-year one. However, it’s going to take more than 10-years to address the challenges the youth sector faces at the moment.
However, my point is this.
I encourage this government to develop a strategy that everyone can get behind, regardless of political persuasion. And, I would encourage MP’s of all political parties to put aside personal and political agendas and the seek the best interests of all our young people.
Colleagues from business, media, sport, the arts, you to can play a role in helping our young people to thrive. We all have a role to play in shaping this strategy, but more importantly in making it a success.
Thank you for your time.