Local youth projects chosen to receive share of £500k council funding

Almost 30 local projects supporting young people across Liverpool are set to receive a share of £500,000 worth of funding from the city council, it has been announced.

The funding is part of the council’s Public Health Youth Work grants scheme which was announced in 2025 before an application process was launched to find suitable projects.

28 projects have been chosen in total to receive a share of almost £570k which will be invested over the next 12 months.

20 of the 28 local projects have been selected to receive a grant of up to £30,000 each to offer enhanced support for the young people they work with.

The fund aims to increase the number of young people engaging with youth activities and increase the youth sector’s capacity to deliver a range of activities whilst supporting the financial sustainability of local youth organisations.

In addition, a panel of young people also took part in a “Dragons Den” activity, where several prospective applicants were requested to bid for up to £10,000 to deliver an innovative idea that sparked the imaginations of the youth panel.

The young people heard the proposals, challenged the presenters and considered how the projects were new or innovative and would expand access to youth work in the city. The young people had the direct power to grant in full, offer a reduced offer or to reject applications.  This process resulted in a further 8 projects receiving a share of an additional £70,000 which has been provided as part of the Local Youth Transformation pilot to identify new ways of working.

The programme builds on the announcement that Liverpool has been chosen as one of the Government’s pilot areas to be a Local Youth Transformation Pilot (LYTP). Only 12 local authorities across the country were chosen to take part in the Pilot (LYTP) and receive additional support from the government aimed at strengthening youth service provision in the city.

The pilot will also involve the creation of a “Youth Assembly”, which will be set up in Liverpool as part of a drive to allow young people to express their views and have their voices heard, as well as create opportunities to study for youth work qualifications and for the council, young people, and youth providers to work together to develop a Youth Offer Plan for the city. The LYTP aims to help the city build sustainable, high-quality youth services which better meet the needs of young people.

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.”