YEF launches ‘landmark trial’ to test the transformative power of sports and the arts on young people

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has announced a £11 million investment to test the transformative power of sports, outdoor activities and the arts to change young people’s lives.

The charity has commissioned large-scale impact trials for six established programmes delivered by Audio Active, Dallaglio RugbyWorks, Ingeus UK, National Literacy Trust, Rugby Football League and StreetGames.

The trials aim to test whether these programmes can effectively prevent children and young people from becoming involved in crime and violence, while also improving their well-being.

According to research from the YEF’s Toolkit, there is already evidence to suggest sports programmes have the potential to significantly reduce children’s involvement in crime and violence, but, for the first time, the YEF will also fund and evaluate programmes in the arts and music to see whether these can be demonstrated to show positive impact too.

Ciaran Thapar, Director of Public Affairs and Communication at the Youth Endowment Fund, said: “In my experience as a youth worker in schools, youth clubs and prisons, I’ve seen first-hand for years how engaging young people in positive activities can be an impactful diversion away from violence.

From grassroots sports groups to the secure estate, our latest funding and evaluations demonstrate our commitment to building high-quality, reliable evidence on what works to prevent violence.”

Read more about the programmes being evaluated here.