Charities and DCMS to create Youth Charter

12 Apr 2019 News

Mims Davies, minister for civil society

Youth charities and DCMS are to jointly create a new Youth Charter to coordinate government youth policy.

Charities including the Scouts and The Prince’s Trust are creating a charter with the government which they hope will centralise different youth services such as education, criminal justice, health care and housing and provide young people with the opportunity to voice their concerns on a range of societal issues.

It came after a roundtable discussion with the sector held as part of the prime minister’s recent Serious Youth Violence Summit.

The organisations involved have been calling on the government to increase resources for young peoples including a greater access to youth, sports and arts clubs, and for it to create opportunities for young people to develop their skills.

The charter will provide a means through which to develop these opportunities and it will be developed over the coming months in collaboration with the youth charities and young people.

Mims Davies, minister for civil society, said: “This is an important commitment to a generation for a generation. The Youth Charter will be a clear message to young people: we back them and are listening to them.

“We’re determined to support young people in reaching their full potential. This charter will set out how.”

'Cohesive approach'

Matt Hyde, chief executives of The Scouts said: “There's never been a more critical time for young people to know that the government has got their back.

"That is why organisations in the youth sector are working so closely together, to ensure the best outcomes for young people in the upcoming spending review.”

Other youth organisations involved in the project are: UK Youth, Step up to Serve, Youth United Foundation, the British Youth Council, Girlguiding, NCS Trust and the National Youth Agency.

In a joint statement, the organisations said: “We are backing a new Youth Charter to put young people where they belong, at the top of the agenda.

"Through developing and delivering a cohesive approach to services for young people we can improve inequality and social mobility, generate positive outcomes that benefit wider society, and unlock cost savings in health, criminal justice, and social care.”

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