Genuine Futures Joins National Lottery Community Fund Community Learning Panel to Champion Opportunities for Young People
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A National Conversation About Community Learning
We are proud to share that Genuine Futures has been selected to join the Community Learning Panel run by the National Lottery Community Fund.
This panel brings together organisations from across the UK to help shape the future of community learning, grassroots funding, and opportunities for local communities.
For us, this opportunity is about far more than recognition. It is about ensuring that the voices of the young people we work with every day — particularly those who feel overlooked or excluded — are heard in conversations that influence policy, funding, and the future of learning.
At Genuine Futures, our work is built around a simple belief:
Every young person deserves a real opportunity to build a future they can be proud of.
Joining the National Lottery Community Fund Community Learning Panel allows us to bring the lived experiences of young people directly into national discussions about how learning, skills, and opportunity should be shaped.
The Growing NEET Challenge
Across the UK, the number of young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) remains a significant challenge.
Recent national figures show that over 900,000 young people aged 16–24 are currently NEET, representing one of the most pressing social and economic issues facing the country.
Behind these statistics are real lives and real stories.
Young people who:
- Left school feeling like they had failed
- Struggled with confidence or mental health
- Fell through the gaps between services
- Simply never found a pathway that worked for them
Many of these young people are talented, creative, and capable — but the system was never designed with them in mind.
This is where community learning organisations play a vital role.
They provide flexible, practical pathways that meet young people where they are and help them rebuild confidence, skills, and belief in themselves.
Turning Lived Experience Into Opportunity
The work of Genuine Futures is deeply personal.
Our co-director Sam Smith understands firsthand how easily young people can fall through the cracks.
At just 13 years old, Sam was sent to a secure unit. What followed was a decade spent moving between children’s homes, homelessness, and the criminal justice system.
But through enterprise, hard work, and the support of mentors, Sam eventually rebuilt his life.
Starting with nothing more than a bucket, sponge, and determination, he began cleaning cars and slowly built businesses across the home services sector, from car valeting and window cleaning to large commercial cleaning contracts.
Today, that lived experience has become the foundation for Genuine Futures.
Instead of telling young people what they should do, the organisation creates real opportunities for them to learn by doing.
Enterprise as a Pathway Forward
One of the most powerful tools we have found for engaging young people is enterprise learning.
Rather than traditional classroom-based training, we focus on hands-on opportunities that allow young people to build confidence through practical work.
A key example is our youth-led enterprise:
We Shine Any Car
This initiative gives young people the chance to learn real-world skills through car cleaning, valeting, and customer service.
Operating from the Genuine Futures Youth Enterprise Hub at The Scrappers in Bolton, the project allows young people to:
- Gain hands-on experience in vehicle cleaning and valeting
- Learn customer service and teamwork
- Develop employability and enterprise skills
- Build confidence through real work environments
Young people involved in the programme also take part in pop-up car wash events across business centres and community spaces, bringing enterprise directly into the community while learning valuable workplace skills.
For many participants, it is the first time they have experienced the satisfaction of earning trust, building skills, and contributing to a team.
Creativity and Enterprise Through Community Partnerships
Alongside practical enterprise programmes, Genuine Futures is also creating opportunities for young people to explore creativity and community enterprise.
One example is our pop-up arts and crafts shop, delivered in partnership with Wispleaf Ltd.
This initiative gives young people the opportunity to:
- Learn creative skills and craft production
- Understand retail and customer interaction
- Develop confidence in showcasing their work
- Experience running a small pop-up shop environment
By working alongside local businesses like Wispleaf, young people gain exposure to real-world enterprise experiences, from product creation to sales and customer engagement.
These types of initiatives show that community learning can happen in many forms — from vehicle valeting to creative enterprise — and that different pathways can unlock different talents.
From NEET to New Possibilities
One of the most inspiring aspects of the Genuine Futures journey is seeing young people rediscover their potential.
Over the years, we have seen young people who once struggled with confidence go on to:
- Start their own businesses
- Secure employment
- Return to education or training
- Become mentors for the next generation
One young person who started working with Sam at just 15 years old went on to build a successful joinery business and now volunteers his time supporting young people in the We Shine Any Car project.
This is what genuine opportunity looks like.
Not a short-term intervention — but a cycle of support, growth, and leadership.
Why Community Learning Matters
Community learning plays a crucial role in reaching young people who may not thrive in traditional educational settings.
It offers something different:
- Flexible learning environments
- Practical, skills-based training
- Mentorship and trusted relationships
- Opportunities rooted in real communities
For many young people, these settings provide the first place they feel understood, supported, and valued.
By joining the National Lottery Community Fund Community Learning Panel, Genuine Futures hopes to contribute insights from the frontline — sharing what works, what challenges remain, and how community-based programmes can better support young people.
Building Partnerships for Greater Impact
Addressing the NEET challenge cannot be done by one organisation alone.
It requires collaboration between:
- Community organisations
- Local authorities
- Businesses
- Schools and colleges
- National funders
Through partnerships with organisations such as Entrepreneurs Unlocked, Recycle IT, Wispleaf Ltd, and the team at The Scrappers Ltd, Genuine Futures is building an ecosystem where young people can gain skills, experience, and opportunity.
These collaborations create real pathways into work, enterprise, and community leadership.
A Voice for Young People
Being part of the National Lottery Community Fund Community Learning Panel is an opportunity to ensure that the experiences of young people — particularly those who feel forgotten by traditional systems — are represented in national conversations.
At Genuine Futures, we believe that solutions must come from those closest to the challenge.
That means listening to young people themselves.
It means recognising the value of lived experience.
And it means building learning environments that focus not just on qualifications, but on confidence, purpose, and opportunity.
Looking Ahead
The selection of Genuine Futures to join the National Lottery Community Fund Community Learning Panel marks an exciting step forward.
It reflects the growing recognition that grassroots organisations have an important role to play in shaping the future of education, skills, and community development.
As we continue to develop initiatives like We Shine Any Car, our creative pop-up enterprises, and wider youth enterprise programmes, our focus remains the same:
Creating opportunities for young people to discover their potential.
Because when young people are given the chance to learn, contribute, and believe in themselves, the impact reaches far beyond the individual.
It strengthens families, communities, and the future of our society.
Get Involved
If you would like to support the work of Genuine Futures or learn more about our youth enterprise programmes, please get in touch.
Genuine Futures Youth Enterprise Hub
Metro Business Park
228 Waterloo Street
Bolton
BL1 8HU
hello@genuinefutures.co.uk
01204 954200
Together, we can ensure that every young person has the opportunity to build a future filled with purpose, skills, and possibility.