At present, governments and policy advisors value a country by its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and not the welfare of its citizens. We hope to become part of a growing body of evidence that supports the theory that the happier the population the more successful the economy.
For young people growing up today, the world is a very different place compared to when their parents and grandparents were young. The speed of societal change is gathering momentum, yet our critical infrastructure, education process and economic systems are not evolving at the same rate. This is having an effect on young people and can adversely effect some of the most vulnerable people in society, including young people.
As of November 2025, over half a million children in England were on mental health
waiting lists; 30% of these have been waiting for over two years. Source: Royal College of Psychiatrists (Feb 2026)
1 in 60 young people in the UK were estimated to be facing homelessness in 2024-2025, affecting a total of 123,934 individuals. Source: Centrepoint (Feb 2026)
Homicides among 13-19-year-olds in England and Wales surged by 64% over the last decade, while the number of teenagers killed specifically by knives or sharp instruments has more than doubled. Source: Youth Endowment Fund (July 2025)
The average time from offence to court completion for youth cases reached 230 days in early 2026—the joint highest level on record, delaying vital support for months. Source: Youth Justice Board / Gov.uk (Jan 2026)
The frequency of reoffending for children who do reoffend rose to a 10-year high of 4.44 reoffences per child in the year ending March 2025. Source: Youth Justice Board (Jan 2026)
1 in 10 children starting primary school in England is living with obesity (age 4-5) with the proportion rising to 1 in 5 by the time they leave (age 10-11). Prevalence is more than double in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived. Source: DHSC / Gov.uk (Nov 2025)
Youth unemployment reached 14% in February 2026, the highest rate for five years, with 575,000 young people aged 18-24 out of work. Source: Office for National Statistics (Feb 2026)
Teenagers who are permanently excluded from school are twice as likely to commit serious violence within a year of their expulsion than those who remain in education. Source: British Journal of Criminology / Hull University (Mar 2025)
Knife and offensive weapon offences committed by children, including possession, increased by 2% to approximately 3,700 in the year ending March 2025. Source: Youth Justice Board (Jan 2026)
One in seven households with children (15%) experienced food insecurity in 2025,
with many forced to cut back on essential nutrition due to costs. Source: Food Foundation (Oct 2025)
The number of young people aged 16-24 who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) rose to 957,000 in early 2026, representing 12.8% of the age group. Source: Office for National Statistics (Feb 2026)
Across the UK, there is currently no statutory obligation for local government to provide positive activities or opportunities for young people outside of school. Local authorities are under increasing pressure to make ongoing savings and whilst youth services decline, the population for this age group is increasing.
In London, local councils have already seen over £240 million stripped from their collective youth service budgets since 2011. While the capital is home to over 2 million children and young people annual spending has plummeted from £145m to just under £42m – a decline of 76%. What remains of the service is fragmented, often staffed by volunteers providing services that are not participant focused nor do they help address the participants’ core needs. The combined effect is a reduction in the number of safe spaces and guidance for young people.
Following on from the success of the youth and community work done by the Local Authorities in Glasgow via its Violence Reduction Unit over the last decade, there has been much media attention over recent years regarding the introduction of a new public health model in England, especially in London, to help deal with the growing instances of knife crime and serious youth violence.
The establishment of the London Violence Reduction Unit by Sadiq Khan in September 2018 helped to build pressure on those in Westminster to adopt a public health approach across London. Lambeth Council were the first publicly stated borough to adopt this approach with almost all other London boroughs indicating a desire shortly afterwards to adopt the process, yet none have effectively managed to implement a process of delivery, despite significant political and local authority.
The difference between the Glasgow model and that being adopted in London was the organic support and effective co-operation between those in the local community who led the change
The Public Health model was popularised in 2002 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to increasing global violence. This approach focuses on dealing with the underlying health problems affecting society in a more comprehensive way than is currently adopted. It looks to prevent an escalation of these problems by considering human factors, characteristics of the source of harm, and the environment, as well as identifying causes and suggesting possible interventions.
The social and emotional training embedded into our delivery process helps develop the necessary qualities to support these principals and promotes the treatment of all people with human dignity and respect.
We want to demonstrate that the Passion Project’s focus on the individual supported by the self-development framework and accompanying operational process not only supports the delivery of youth services via traditional methods but is equally well-equipped to provide the support needed for the roll-out of a large scale integrated service on a payment-by-results basis.
