Youth Leads UK

Who we are

Youth Leads UK is an award-winning, youth-led charity based at MediaCity in Greater Manchester. We support young people furthest from opportunity — including those from the most deprived communities, care-experienced young people, and those locked out of leadership — to build real-world skills, grow in confidence, and shape the decisions that affect their lives.

We run flagship leadership programmes across Greater Manchester, publish Youth Leads Magazine, and deliver the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's Youth Civic Leadership Programme — supporting young people to step into roles as trustees, governors, magistrates, and policy advisors. Our CEO sits on the UK Government's Civil Society Council, and our work has been recognised with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Voluntary Service.

We have been doing this for over 15 years. In that time we have reached more than 25,000 young people. Our five-year strategy, Generation:NOW, sets out bold ambitions to 2030 — to grow our reach, amplify youth voice, and build an organisation that is genuinely fit for the future.

We are proud to work from MediaCity — one of the UK's leading creative and media hubs — and to be part of a wider ecosystem of organisations who believe that young people should be shaping the world around them, not waiting their turn.

Our culture and values

Youth Leads UK is a small but genuinely ambitious team. We work hard, we care deeply about what we do, and we try to bring energy and purpose to everything — including how we look after each other.

Our values are not words on a wall. They show up in how we run programmes, how we make decisions, and how we treat the people who work here.

Fun — We bring positivity and energy to everything we do, creating spaces where people feel included, connected, and genuinely themselves.

Empowering — We put young people at the heart of decision-making, and we apply the same principle internally. We trust our team to lead, take ownership, and grow.

Bold — We are not afraid to challenge the status quo, take risks, or say the things that need saying. We expect the same from the people who join us.

Aspirational — We champion ambition — in the young people we work with and in ourselves. We invest in our team's development and want people to be better for having worked here.

Community — We are rooted in Greater Manchester and proud of it. We work in partnership, build genuine relationships, and believe that collective effort creates lasting change.

In practice, this means regular team socials, a wellbeing programme, six-weekly team training sessions, and a culture where people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. We are based at MediaCity four days a week with flexibility built in, and we work hard to make sure the way we operate reflects the inclusive values we promote externally.

We offer 30 days of annual leave including bank holidays, a part-closure over Christmas and New Year, and a genuine commitment to your professional development. We are a Living Wage Employer, signed up to the Greater Manchester Good Employer's Charter and the #ShowTheSalary campaign.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

At Youth Leads UK, fairness and equality shape how we work and how we treat everyone connected to our organisation. We are committed to creating a workplace where people feel valued and respected, regardless of their background or circumstances. Our policies ensure that recruitment, training, and career opportunities are open to everyone based on their skills and potential, without bias or discrimination.

We challenge inequality at every level and hold ourselves accountable for maintaining high standards of inclusivity. Whether it’s supporting team members with flexible arrangements or addressing concerns promptly through clear procedures, we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute their best.