OnSide

Young people across the UK today face a raft of pressing challenges. The cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, the number of young people in mental health crisis has reached record levels, and we are just starting to realise the long-term implications of the increasing dependency on smartphones and digital interaction.

Youth centres and youth workers make a huge difference to young people's lives providing them with safe spaces, trusted adults, inspiration and opportunity as they navigate the challenges of adolescence - support that is even more critical for young people living in our most disadvantaged communities. Yet OnSide’s research shows that only 9% of young people currently attend youth centres, meaning too few are getting the vital support they need to grow and thrive into adulthood.

OnSide is a national youth charity on a mission to change this by giving thousands of young people access to opportunities, activities and support from dedicated youth workers.

Our growing network of Youth Zones situated in some of the country’s most economically disadvantaged communities, support over 55,000 young people every year – and our ambitious goal is to grow this to a flourishing Network of 35 centres by 2035, supporting over 150,000 young people.