Our work
We work with communities all over the UK to help improve people’s lives and shape a fairer future.
Projects and programmes

Community Research Networks
2 December 2024
This programme is a two-phase funding opportunity, putting community networks at the heart of research.

Peer Action Collective
25 March 2025
Peer Action Collective programme tackles the root causes of youth violence in communities across the UK.

Forever Young
22 November 2023
Celebrating our 70-year legacy, we continue to embrace the spirit of our founder, Michael Young, as we address challenges facing UK communities today, and tomorrow.

Campaign for community power
21 July 2022
Supporting better-connected, stronger communities, The Young Foundation is proud to be part of We’re Right Here, the campaign for community power.
Discussion papers

Rewriting the rulebook
This policy brief outlines The Young Foundation’s vision for enhancing social participation in mission-based government.

Family and community vulnerabilities in the transition to net zero
Assessing opportunities and potential to develop policy that supports our national journey to net zero, enabling all UK communities to participate and thrive.

Digital solutions: tech-powered responses to 21st century crises
This paper explores the potential to develop digital civic infrastructure to support our national growth and drive levelling up.
Reports and research

A just transition in London’s retrofits
Participatory research with Londoners, examining barriers to retrofit participation, including affordability, distrust, and lack of accessible information.

Community, not catastrophe
When disaster strikes, local people and communities step up. This report calls for them to be recognised as part of our Critical National Infrastructure in times of crisis.

Ethics in ‘citizen science’
This is the second in a series of short discussion papers produced by the Institute for Community Studies to share learnings and reflections from the UKRI-funded Citizen Science Collaboration Grants.

Rights and risks: Migrant labour exploitation in London
Commissioned by the Mayor of London and supported by FLEX, this report hears from London’s migrant workers, gaining a deeper understanding of their working conditions and the struggles they face through peer-led research.

London Civic Strength Index
Co-designed and co-created with Londoners, this Index helps boroughs and organisations across the capital consider the strengths of their communities and how build on them.