Local youth projects chosen to receive share of £500k council funding
Nearly 30 local projects supporting young people across Liverpool are set to benefit from a major funding boost, with the city council confirming that almost £570,000 will be invested into youth services over the next year.
The funding forms part of the council’s Public Health Youth Work Grants scheme, first announced in 2025, which invited organisations across the city to apply for support to strengthen and expand their work with young people.
Following a competitive application process, 28 projects have now been selected to receive a share of the funding. Of those, 20 organisations will each receive grants of up to £30,000, enabling them to provide enhanced support, deliver new activities and reach even more young people in their communities.
The scheme is designed to increase participation in youth activities across Liverpool, build the capacity of the youth sector and support the long-term financial sustainability of local organisations working on the ground.
Young People Take the Lead
In a unique twist, young people themselves played a direct role in deciding how part of the funding would be distributed.
As part of a special “Dragons’ Den”-style panel, young representatives heard pitches from prospective applicants bidding for up to £10,000 to deliver innovative new ideas. The panel challenged presenters, explored how each proposal would expand access to youth work in the city, and assessed how creative and impactful the ideas were.
Crucially, the young people held the power to approve funding in full, reduce awards or reject bids altogether.
This process resulted in a further eight projects receiving a share of £70,000, funded through the Local Youth Transformation Pilot (LYTP), aimed at testing new and innovative approaches to youth provision in Liverpool.
Liverpool Named as National Pilot Area
The funding programme also builds on the recent announcement that Liverpool has been selected as one of just 12 local authorities across the country to take part in the Government’s Local Youth Transformation Pilot.
The pilot will provide additional support to strengthen youth service provision across the city and help shape a long-term vision for sustainable, high-quality youth services.
As part of the initiative, Liverpool will establish a new Youth Assembly, giving young people a platform to share their views and influence decisions that affect them. The pilot will also create opportunities for young people to study for youth work qualifications and encourage closer collaboration between the council, youth providers and young residents to develop a city-wide Youth Offer Plan.
Together, the investment and pilot programme aim to ensure Liverpool’s young people have access to inclusive, engaging and high-quality youth services that meet their needs — both now and in the future.
Cllr Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture at Liverpool City Council, said:
“I am so pleased to announce this increased investment from public health which builds upon the fantastic work that was delivered over the school summer holidays. This programme demonstrates the council’s ambitious commitment to investing a further £500,000 per year from Public Health into youth work and will ensure that we can create services that focus on health and wellbeing.
“Young people have been really clear in telling us what they want and need – support for their mental health, spaces to meet with people in their communities and real opportunities to have a say.
“This funding, and the wider work of the Local Youth Transformation pilot will help us to give them what they want and support our children and young people to thrive.”
Cllr Liz Parsons, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services at Liverpool City Council, said:
“We need to ensure that every child and young person has somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to, and I am proud of our work so far to support and transform youth work in the city.
“This funding is a significant boost for Liverpool and will create a sharp and welcome turnaround for youth work.
“As a council, we are committed to helping to rebuild essential youth provision in our city and making sure children and young people have their rights respected and their voices heard.”
