Delivering For Our Young People, Crawley Observer Column, Wednesday 12th March 2025

Every young person deserves the chance to thrive, no matter their background. Yet, for too long, many young people in Crawley and across the UK have faced a lack of investment in the support services that are crucial to their development. This failure to meet their needs has left many young people struggling to access the opportunities that could shape their future.

The Government’s National Youth Strategy, which will be launched this summer, is an important step forward in addressing these challenges. This initiative aims to tackle the issues facing the next generation, bringing power back to local communities to ensure services are properly tailored to their specific needs.

For areas like Crawley, where we have the lowest social mobility in the South East, this strategy is vital. We have many local organisations which do incredible work to support young people, but they need support and, with the right resources, they can make an even greater difference in the lives of young people who rely on them.

One of the key features of the National Youth Strategy is its focus on giving young people a voice in shaping the services they need. Through the Deliver You campaign, the Government is encouraging young people and organisations working with them to get involved and share their views. This campaign aims to ensure that young people’s voices—especially those who are often marginalised—are central to the strategy’s development. It also aims to increase the number of young people who contribute as changemakers within their communities.

There are many ways to get involved in the Deliver You campaign, from sharing the message on social media to completing the Government’s national survey at https://www.iwill.org.uk/NYS-Deliver-You/. In addition, engagement sessions will be held across the country to ensure the broadest range of views are heard, directly influencing the strategy that will be rolled out later this year.

This is a great opportunity to ensure the needs of every young person are fully considered and addressed by the strategy, and I encourage everyone to get involved. Together, we can build a brighter future for the next generation.