Youth Cymru, has been awarded a grant from the Youth Endowment Fund to support young people at-risk of being drawn into violent crime through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth Endowment Fund
With the funding Youth Cymru will be working with community based youth workers from 5 areas of South East Wales developing online creative youth work opportunities for young people to engage with expert youth workers. The programme aims to use creative community based activities to create confidence and self-esteem in young people with aim for preventing disengagement and protecting them being drawn into offending and the criminal justice system.
The Youth Endowment Fund is an independent charitable trust set up by the Home Office. It funds, supports and evaluates projects in England and Wales which work to prevent children and young people from being drawn into violent crime.
Youth Cymru is one of 130 organisations to share part of a £6.5m grant pot from the Youth Endowment Fund to help at-risk young people impacted by COVID-19.
Julia Griffiths, Joint CEO at Youth Cymru said: “We are delighted to have received this funding and are looking forward to exploring and developing our insights and understanding of the role youth work can play in preventing young people from getting into trouble and entering the youth justice system. ”
Jon Yates, Executive Director at Youth Endowment Fund, said: “It has been too easy to forget vulnerable young people during this crisis. The pandemic has removed much of the critical support that many of them rely upon – from teachers to youth workers. This funding will help us find the best way to reach and support these young people when they most need it.”