Youth Matters Now More Than Ever: Why Britain’s Young People Cannot Wait
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With over 1 million young people NEET and rising risks of exploitation, the Government’s Youth Matters strategy must move from policy to action. Here’s why local, enterprise-led delivery is critical now.
Youth matters.
That is now recognised at national level.
The Government’s Youth Matters: A National Youth Strategy sets out an important ambition: ensuring young people have trusted adults, safe spaces, early intervention and clear pathways into skills, work and opportunity.
But for many young people across the UK — and here in Bolton — the real question is not what the strategy says, but how quickly it reaches them.
Because young people do not live in policy documents.
They live in real communities, facing real risks, right now.
The Scale of the Challenge
The national picture is stark:
- Over 1 million young people nationally are NEET (not in education, employment or training)
- Around 1,700 young people in Bolton are NEET
- An estimated 46,000 young people are involved in county lines exploitation
- Increasing numbers of young people are dropping out of post-16 education, often unseen
Behind every statistic is a young person at risk of long-term unemployment, poor mental health, exploitation or lifelong disengagement.
This is why Youth Matters now more than ever.
What the Youth Matters Strategy Gets Right
The Government’s Youth Matters strategy rightly recognises that young people need more than short-term interventions or one-size-fits-all pathways.
It highlights:
- trusted adult relationships
- safe, consistent youth spaces
- early intervention
- routes into work, skills and enterprise
- the importance of local delivery
These priorities closely reflect what community organisations working on the ground have known for years.
But ambition alone does not change lives.
Delivery does.
The Gap Between Strategy and Reality
Young people tell us the same story:
“I was ready — but nothing was there.”
“I wanted to start, but the programme hadn’t begun.”
“I didn’t fit the system, so I was left behind.”
At the Genuine Futures Youth Enterprise Hub at The Scrappers, this reality is visible every day.
Recently, despite our Boss Your Future – Bolton programme not officially starting until January 2026, two young lads walked through the door and said they wanted to start immediately. Not in six months. Not when funding cycles aligned. Now.
That moment captures the challenge perfectly.
Motivation has a narrow window.
When it appears, opportunity must follow — or it is lost.
What Works on the Ground
With a 26-year track record of supporting young people into work, enterprise and independence, Genuine Futures has learned some hard but clear lessons:
- relationships come before referrals
- confidence comes before qualifications
- real environments matter more than simulated ones
- flexibility prevents disengagement
- enterprise builds belief
As our Director Mike Alleyne puts it:
“We want to help young people of Bolton build confidence and get them on the ladder.”
That ladder does not always begin with college or a job. Often, it starts with being trusted, being listened to, and being given responsibility.
Youth Matters Is a Local Responsibility
Youth Matters cannot be delivered from Whitehall alone.
For the strategy to succeed, it must be:
- locally led
- community-rooted
- delivered by organisations young people already trust
- supported by councils, businesses and partners working together
This raises urgent questions for MPs, councillors, organisations and employers:
- Where do young people go today when they say “I’m ready”?
- Who takes responsibility when programmes haven’t started but motivation has?
- How are we reaching those already disengaged from education?
- How do businesses create real pathways, not just placements?
- What happens if we delay — and who pays the long-term cost?
Our Commitment: Youth Matters Blueprint 2026
Genuine Futures is not waiting for perfect conditions.
Through our Youth Matters Blueprint 2026, we are committing to:
- engaging 100 young people aged 15–24 across Bolton
- providing tailored personal development support to 50 young people
- delivering enterprise-led pathways that build confidence, routine and progression
This work is delivered from the Genuine Futures Youth Enterprise Hub at The Scrappers — a real-world environment where young people experience belonging, responsibility and opportunity.
Why This Cannot Wait
Every delay increases the risk of:
- long-term unemployment
- exploitation
- poor mental health
- permanent disengagement
Youth Matters is not just a youth issue.
It is an economic issue.
A community safety issue.
A future workforce issue.
A Call to Act — Together
Youth Matters works when:
- councils back what is already working locally
- businesses open doors, not just conversations
- communities share responsibility
- young people are met with belief, not delay
If the Youth Matters strategy is to succeed, now is the moment to act.
Because confidence changes lives.
Opportunity changes direction.
And timing changes everything.
Get Involved
Genuine Futures Youth Enterprise Hub at The Scrappers
Metro Business Park, 228 Waterloo Street, Bolton, BL1 8HU
hello@genuinefutures.co.uk
01204 954200
Youth Matters — because the cost of inaction is far too high.