A report highlighted the value of activities such as after-school study clubs and holiday volunteering schemes that improved the aspirations, skills, and self-confidence of young people. Private funding was critical in making these opportunities available to children from disadvantaged backgrounds: the schoolchildren most likely to benefit from extra-curricular activities were those least likely to have access to them.
Source: Clare Yeowart and Dinah McKenzie, After the Bell: Out of school activities for children and young people, New Philanthropy Capital (0207 401 8080)
Links: Summary | NPC press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Dec
The government published (following consultation) a Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill. The Bill provided for the reinvestment of money from unclaimed assets in dormant bank accounts in the wider community. Money would be distributed via the Big Lottery Fund to youth services, and to financial capability and inclusion programmes.
Source: Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill [HL], HM Treasury, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | HMT press release | CPAG press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Nov
A report presented the interim findings of the national evaluation of targeted youth support pathfinders (designed to improve support for vulnerable young people by a range of different agencies). Relative progress, in terms of reaching the stage of 'delivery' to young people, varied across the case study areas.
Source: John Rodger, Helen Palmer and James Mahon, Targeted Youth Support Pathfinders: Interim Evaluation, Research Report RR016, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Nov
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on unclaimed assets in the financial system. The government remained committed to designing a scheme that preserved the rights of the individual consumer and at the same time allowed genuinely dormant accounts to be used for good causes in the community, such as improving youth services.
Source: Unclaimed Assets Within the Financial System: Government Response to the Committee's Eleventh Report, Eighth Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 1028, House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Oct
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government should use millions of pounds lying in dormant National Savings accounts – in addition to compulsorily using those in commercial banks – to help fund youth centres and other good causes.
Source: Unclaimed Assets Within the Financial System, Eleventh Report (Session 2006-07), HC 533, House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBA press release | NCC press release | NCVO press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Aug
Researchers gave a positive evaluation of the youth opportunity fund and youth capital fund, designed to improve the provision of positive activities for young people, by giving young people power to decide how this funding should be spent in their area.
Source: Lisa O?Donnell et al., Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund: Evaluation findings from initial case-study visits, Research Report RR004, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2007-Jul
The government published a ten-year strategy on youth. Young people would have access to new and improved youth facilities in every community, and would have a greater say over local services. Unclaimed money from abandoned bank accounts would help fund the plans.
Source: Aiming High for Young People: A ten year strategy for positive activities, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) and Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Strategy | Hansard | DCSF press release | OCC press release | YJB press release | Sport England press release | NCH press release | LGA press release | BYC press release | Citizenship Foundation press release | EDCM press release | Liberal Democrat press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Jul
The government announced that it planned to introduce an Unclaimed Assets Bill. The Bill would be designed to use unclaimed assets in the banking system (such as bank accounts dormant for 15 years) to fund improvements in youth and community facilities.
Source: The Governance of Britain: The Government?s Draft Legislative Programme, Cm 7175, Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Date: 2007-Jul
A study consulted over 16,000 teenagers in order to find out what life was really like for young people, and how they believed that improvements could be made. Young people were fearful for their own safety; and 80 per cent said they had nowhere to go and nothing to do. The report of the study called for an urgent transformation of support for teenagers: it recommended a programme of government investment and action to create a 'Sure Start' approach for older children – providing early support and intervention for troubled teenagers to prevent difficulties escalating.
Source: Make Space Youth Review: Transforming the offer for young people in the UK, 4Children (formerly Kids? Clubs Network) (020 7512 2100)
Links: Report | Summary | 4C press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the impact of integrated services on the personal and social skills of young people, as well as on their access to support, guidance, and positive activities. There was evidence to support the hypothesis that clubs offering a 'wraparound' service were more likely to achieve positive outcomes.
Source: Annik Sorhaindo and Leon Feinstein, The Role of Integrated Provision in Delivering Outcomes For Young People, 4Children (formerly Kids? Clubs Network) (020 7512 2100)
Links: Summary | 4C press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Jun
A study of local authority progress on creating integrated youth services highlighted concern that youth services were 'trailing' other agencies.
Source: Implementing the Integrated Youth Offer: Progress and challenges for local authorities, 4Children (formerly Kids? Clubs Network) (020 7512 2100)
Links: Report | 4C press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Jun
An interim report called on the government to create new-style youth centres and youth hubs in every area, offering teenagers a place to meet, activities, classes, and specialist help if they needed it.
Source: Make Space Youth Review: Emerging thinking, Make Space, c/o 4Children (020 7522 6960)
Links: Report | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Mar
The Scottish Executive published (following consultation) a strategy for improving young people's chances through youth work.
Source: Moving Forward: A strategy for improving young people's chances through youth work, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Strategy | Consultation responses | SE press release
Date: 2007-Mar
The Welsh Assembly government launched (following consultation) a new national youth service strategy, focusing on raising awareness among young people of what was on offer and ensuring that all young people could access services in their local area.
Source: Press release 16 March 2007, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Mar
The government published the results of a joint review of services for children and young people. It set out plans for increased investment in Sure Start children's centres, one-to-one tuition in schools, out-of-school activities, and support for mothers and fathers with their parenting responsibilities (as well as parenting contracts for families at risk).
Source: Aiming High for Children: Supporting families, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) and Department for Education and Skills
Links: Report | HMT press release | ECM press release
Date: 2007-Mar
A report examined the experiences of young people (aged 18-24) in relation to 18 broad types of civil law problem. 35 per cent of young respondents said that they regretted their 'problem resolution' strategy (or lack of one), compared to 28 per cent of other respondents. Young people often said that they wished they had got advice, got more advice, acted sooner, or tried harder to get advice.
Source: Nigel Balmer, Tania Tam and Pascoe Pleasence, Young People and Civil Justice: Findings from the 2004 English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey, Youth Access (020 8772 9900)
Links: Report | Youth Access press release | Briefing
Date: 2007-Feb
A report gave an interim evaluation of a project designed to improve and extend young people's access to better quality legal rights-based advice services. It said that the existing policy and funding climate was a 'significant hindrance' to the development of services. There were very few sources of funds available, and competition for those funds was fierce.
Source: Michael Bell Associates, Rights to Access Project: Interim evaluation summary report, Youth Access (020 8772 9900)
Links: Report | Youth Access press release | Briefing
Date: 2007-Feb