What is a Young People’s Foundation?

If you’ve come across Young H&F and wondered what a Young People’s Foundation actually is, you’re not alone. The term might sound a bit sector-jargony, but in reality, YPFs are quite a simple idea ultimately designed to give young people the best possible opportunities where they live.

A network built for young people

Young People’s Foundations (YPFs) can be found across London and beyond. At their core, they’re membership organisations that bring together all the voluntary groups, youth clubs, and charities working with children and young people in their borough.

The first YPFs were set up in 2015 by John Lyon’s Charity in response to the closure of many youth centres and deep cuts to statutory youth services. Instead of competing for limited resources, YPFs give organisations a place to collaborate, share skills, and secure funding together.

Here in Hammersmith & Fulham, you’ll see that spirit in action through our SYNC consortium – a group of local organisations who’ve joined forces to deliver bigger and better opportunities for young people than any of us could do alone.

How YPFs work

Every Young People’s Foundation looks slightly different. They respond to the need of their borough, but they all share the same DNA. YPFs are:

• Membership-led - they exist to support local youth and community organisations.

• Place-based – rooted in the needs and strengths of a specific borough.

• Connectors – they build bridges between the voluntary sector, local authorities, schools and businesses.

• Capacity-building – offering training, networks, and guidance so that grassroots organisations can focus on delivering brilliant work for young people.

In Hammersmith & Fulham, that means supporting over 100 of member organisations to help them access funding, training and partnerships that strengthen the youth sector as a whole.

Why They matter

For many youth and community organisations, the challenge isn’t passion or ideas – it’s isolation. When groups are working in silos, opportunities get missed, funding feels out of reach, and voices aren’t as strong as they could be.

That’s where Young People’s Foundations make the difference. YPFs act as the connector: creating a space where organisations can meet, collaborate, and learn from one another. By joining forces, local youth sectors can access funding that small charities would struggle to secure alone and develop partnerships that unlock new opportunities for young people.

Take our Ready Steady Connect project as an example. On their own, organisations like Spark!, 2–3 Degrees, and The Kids Network each do fantastic work. But through Young H&F, they came together with our SYNC consortium to create something bigger: a two-year mentoring and development programme for young people aged 16–21 in Hammersmith & Fulham.

It’s not just about funding either - it’s about equity. Every young person deserves access to safe spaces, trusted adults, and inspiring opportunities, no matter the size or resources of the organisation supporting them. YPFs help level the playing field by offering training, networks and access to opportunities that smaller organisations might not reach on their own. Together, that means community-led groups, grassroots youth clubs, and larger charities can all thrive – and young people in Hammersmith & Fulham get the opportunities they deserve.