by
What if we've been asking the wrong question?
We keep calling young people the future of Abingdon. But why should they have to wait for the future to have a voice in shaping their town today?
Over the past year, more than 1,000 young people have told us what matters, what's missing and what they want to change. Their message is clear: they don't just want to grow up in Abingdon. They want to belong, be heard and help shape it. Imagine a town where young people are empowered to Act, given opportunities to Belong and inspired to Commit to making their community better.
It takes a village to raise a child. Perhaps it's time we remembered how to be a village. This strategy is an invitation to the whole town to do exactly that. Because when a town gives young people a voice, it doesn't just change their future. It changes its own.
It starts with us.
To everyone reading this. Young people, local businesses, MPs, councillors, community leaders, decision makers, parents, neighbours, and everyone who calls this town home.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to us. We have something we want you to hear...
A lot of the time, young people feel invisible. We feel judged before we even speak. Misunderstood before anyone asks us what's really going on. Forgotten when decisions are being made about our communities, our streets, and our futures.
People talk about young people a lot. But not enough people talk with young people.
We hear stories from older generations about youth clubs that used to exist. Buildings that were just for young people. Spaces where people felt safe, supported, and understood. Places where there were youth workers who knew your name, checked in on you, believed in you, and helped guide you through life.
Not school. Not services you only go to when something is wrong. Just somewhere to go. Somewhere to belong. Somewhere you could be yourself. Somewhere that was there for you before things got hard.
Some young people today are growing up feeling isolated, angry, anxious, unheard. Lost. Some feel like there's nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody really fighting for them.
And when support disappears, problems don't disappear with it. They grow.
But we're not speaking up just to complain. We're speaking up because we care about our communities. Because we want better. Not only for ourselves, but for the young people coming after us too.
We want the people who have the power to make change to dream big with us. To create spaces where young people feel safe, and make sure those places are here in our town for generations to come. To invest in youth workers, opportunities, and the things that give young people hope. To listen to our experiences before making decisions about our lives. To build something with us, not just for us.
This isn't just another letter. It's a chance to make a real commitment. A commitment to hear young voices. A commitment to work together. A commitment to create a Youth Strategy that actually reflects the reality of growing up in our community.
Not assumptions. Not statistics alone. Our real lives.
Because we're here. We care. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. And we need the people in our community to stand up for us, even when we're not in the room.
So please... Don't read this letter, close this page, and forget about us. Don't let this become another strategy, another plan, another promise that never becomes reality.
Let this be the moment things started changing.
Because we're not just your future...
We are your present.
A strategy shaped by young people
This strategy isn't just about listening to young people – it's about working alongside them to create meaningful change.
Over 1,000 young people across Abingdon have shared their experiences, ideas and ambitions, helping us understand not just the challenges they face, but the solutions they believe will make a difference.
Their message is clear: young people don't just want a say in their future. They want to help shape it.
Understanding what young people need starts with listening. But creating meaningful change means going further – involving young people in finding solutions and shaping their own futures.
We already know many of the challenges young people face, from mental health and loneliness to pressures at school, concerns about safety and uncertainty about the future. What matters now is what we do about them.
That's why we've focused on solutions. We asked young people what needs to change, what they value about Abingdon, what should be protected and how we can make the town an even better place to grow up.
More than 1,000 young people have helped shape this strategy. They've designed surveys, taken part in peer-led discussions, shared ideas and helped organise a Youth Summit, bringing young people and the wider community together.
Their message is clear: they don't just want to be heard – they want to be part of what happens next.
Making that happen requires all of us. Schools, businesses, charities, community organisations, local authorities and young people each have a role to play.
This isn't about doing things for young people. It's about working with them to create lasting change.
Together, we've identified three guiding principles that sit at the heart of this strategy.
Act, belong, commit
Young people are not passive recipients of services. They have strengths, ideas, energy and potential.
We want young people to act – to take positive steps for their own wellbeing and future, to use their voice, grasp opportunities, discover what they are capable of, and recognise the power they already have to influence their own lives.
Act
But young people cannot do this alone. They need other people by their side. They need trusted adults, friendships, safe spaces, opportunities and communities where they are known, valued, and understood.
We want every young person growing up in Abingdon to feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Because when a young person genuinely feels that they belong, what they believe is possible for their life begins to change.
And belonging asks something of us all. It asks young people, families, schools, businesses, charities, councils and the wider community to commit to each other.
Not for the duration of a project. Not until a funding pot runs out. Not until the next strategy comes along. But for the long term.
Belong
Commit
And young people have already shown us what Act. Belong. Commit. looks like. That is why this strategy is about more than improving services.
-
It is about changing how Abingdon thinks about its young people.
-
From reacting to crisis to acting earlier.
-
From temporary projects to lasting relationships and opportunities.
-
From fragmented services to a connected community.
-
From tokenistic asks to genuinely sharing power with young people.
-
From seeing young people as a problem to solve to recognising them as part of the solution.
-
From doing things for young people to building something with them.
This ambition connects strongly with Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy and its focus on places to go, things to do, trusted adults, belonging and giving young people greater power to shape their lives and communities.
But this strategy did not begin in Westminster. It began here.
This is where the action starts.
From ambition to action
Understanding Abingdon
-
Young people aged 10-19 equate to about 11% of the total population in Abingdon. An additional 2,000 young people attend an Abingdon school.
-
With diversity increasing in younger age groups.
-
Despite living in one of England’s least deprived areas this number rises sharply to 1 in 3 for some of Abingdon’s districts.
A bit about us
There are
3,749
of us living in Abingdon (1)
Around
1 in 5
Abingdon residents are from a non-white background (2)
At least
1 in 10
of us live in childhood poverty (3)
South Abingdon is in the
10%
most deprived areas in England for Education, Skills and Training
Our weekly allowance is between
£5 - £15
this is how much we have to spend on activities and travel
Abingdon already has valuable provision, partnerships, and trusted relationships. These are the foundations on which this strategy needs to grow.
We want to use our Youth Strategy as a mechanism to protect them, connect them, and sustain them.
What we are proud of in Abingdon
Our town
The majority of us either love it or think it’s alright!
Brilliant people
There are some fantastic young people and adults in our town who are driving positive change.
Strong relationships
We know that together we can do more!
Great organisations
We have some truly outstanding youth-focused organisations that give us free spaces where we feel we can belong, activities we can take part in, and detached youth work which meets us where we are. We want to make sure they can continue. If they thrive, we thrive.
Real opportunities
There are some really great things happening in Abingdon. We want to make sure that all young people can access something where they can Act. Belong. And Commit.
What we heard
To create meaningful change, we first needed to listen. We've worked closely with young people across Abingdon to understand their experiences, the challenges they face and what they want to see change. Through surveys, conversations and community events, more than 1,000 young people have helped shape this strategy, sharing not just their concerns, but their ideas and solutions for a better future.
-
Young People’s Survey ‘Our Voice’: 785 young people took part in our survey.
-
Focus Groups & Detached Youth Work: Over 200 young people took part in discussions exploring further needs, challenges, barriers to support, and seeking to come up with solutions.
-
Youth Summit: An event attended by 140 youth representatives, county/district/town councillors, sector, school, and business leaders. We created a space to reflect on the survey findings and discuss solutions that could work for Abingdon.
-
Wider Community Engagement: Dialogues with local businesses, councillors, youth workers, and local charities to develop strong working partnerships and mutually-supportive solutions.
Our findings
Turning insight into action
Protecting what we have, while dreaming big.
We recognise that some of what we are asking for already exists through current provision, such as The Abingdon Bridge: trusted relationships, free spaces and activities, practical support, and youth workers who meet them where they are. We do not want to lose this. Protecting and sustaining what already works must be a foundation of our strategy.
But if we are dreaming big, how could we build on those strengths so that more young people can benefit? A dedicated youth space that feels like home, a consistent supportive adult team, and positive pathways could extend that offer, with the resources and long-term commitment to make it available when and where young people need it.
Our ambition is to protect the relationships and opportunities that we already value, connect them, and build on them so that every young person in Abingdon can feel they Act. Belong. Commit.
We do not want to lose the relationships and opportunities that already exist through The Abingdon Bridge and other local provision: trusted youth workers, free spaces, community activities, outreach and wellbeing support.
“I want to know [the support] will still be there once we’ve got used to going.”
“Keep coming out to meet us where we are. Not everyone will walk straight into a youth centre.”
Our proposed solutions:
-
Protecting and developing existing youth workers and the relationships they have built
-
Sustaining free community drop-ins, activities, safe spaces and detached youth work that meets young people where they are
-
Maintaining accessible mental health and wellbeing support
-
Working towards reliable, long-term funding that sustains effective provision and partnerships.
We want a place where we feel welcomed, comfortable and valued, with space to spend time together, try things and access support.
“I want somewhere I can go without having to buy something to stay.”
“Having somewhere for young people would show that we matter in this town.”
Our proposed solutions:
-
Create a dedicated youth hub, designed with young people, including decisions about activities, facilities, and opening hours
-
Provide spaces for different needs: somewhere to socialise, somewhere to take part in activities, and somewhere quieter
- Make the hub free and accessible, with support that enables young people with different abilities and needs to participate
-
Bring youth organisations, trusted adults, opportunities and support together in a place young people feel comfortable using.
-
Open at times young people can use it, including evenings and weekends
We want adults who know us, care about us and keep showing up. Good youth workers are warm, skilled, inspiring, encouraging, and consistent.
“It helps when you see the same people. You don’t have to explain everything again.”
“I want someone I can talk to before things get really bad."
Our proposed solutions:
-
Invest in a consistent team of skilled youth workers in schools and community so young people can build relationships over time
-
Bring together adults with different skills and provide training to respond to different needs, including SEN and mental health needs
-
Make support available through everyday conversations and activities, with opportunities to speak privately when needed
-
Connect young people with positive role models, mentors and local people willing to share their skills, experiences and time, who can offer encouragement and practical help early, before difficulties become a crisis
-
Help young people connect with further support, staying alongside them as they take that step
-
Invest in junior youth workers, youth leaders and routes into youth work, building on the approaches already working locally.
We want support to turn our interests and ambitions into real opportunities - knowing about an opportunity does not always mean being able to access it.
AI can help produce a CV, but it cannot replace a relationship with someone who knows us, encourages us and can make a personal introduction.
“I want them to see what I’m good at, even when I can’t see it myself.”
“Good opportunities should reach people whose families don’t already have the contacts.”
Our proposed solutions:
-
Offer someone to sit alongside young people when writing a CV or completing an application, helping them recognise their strengths and experience
-
Use relationships with supportive adults to make personal introductions to employers, training providers and other opportunities
-
Build partnerships with local employers and organisations to offer workplace visits, mentoring, work experience and routes into apprenticeships and employment.
-
Address barriers such as cost, transport, confidence and additional support needs, with continued encouragement through transitions and setbacks.
We want our involvement to lead to visible change. Our voice should continue through the delivery and review of the strategy.
Our proposed solutions:
-
Develop a recognised Youth Voice Group with ongoing opportunities to influence local decisions
-
Create regular conversations with councillors, community leaders, businesses and organisations
-
Support youth-led projects, community action and opportunities to help design provision
-
Report back through a clear “You said → We did → What changed” approach, including honest explanations where something is still being explored or cannot yet happen.
Across all five priorities, we are calling for equity rather than a one-size-fits-all offer: different young people may need different support to access the same opportunities. Our shared ambition is to feel connected, to belong in Abingdon and to know that our community cares about us and our future.
Turning a shared vision into action
We're not trying to create another short-lived initiative. We're trying to build the relationships, partnerships, and infrastructure that mean this continues beyond individual projects, people or pots of funding.
Abingdon already has a wealth of organisations, schools, businesses, community groups and individuals who care deeply about young people. This strategy is not about starting again or creating another layer of services. It is about bringing people together, strengthening what already works, and building a shared commitment to improving opportunities for young people across the town.
The development of the Abingdon Youth Strategy has already demonstrated what is possible when organisations work together, listen to young people and recognise that no single organisation can meet every need.
One example is the growing partnership between The Abingdon Bridge (TAB) and the Abingdon Damascus Youth Project (ADYP).
Through working alongside each other and listening to young people during the development of the strategy, both organisations recognised that they could achieve more by working together. This has led to a formal collaboration agreement, bringing together local knowledge, trusted relationships, youth work expertise, and organisational support.
The collaboration creates opportunities to strengthen youth provision, share resources, reduce duplication, and provide more joined-up support for young people, particularly in South Abingdon and the surrounding communities.
Importantly, both organisations retain their individual identities while working towards a shared ambition. It is a practical example of how stronger partnerships can help us make better use of existing resources and create more opportunities for young people.
This is the approach we want to build upon across Abingdon.
Building on stronger local partnerships
A key ambition of the Abingdon Youth Strategy is to make the five priorities everyone's business. No single organisation can deliver these ambitions alone. Success will depend on bringing together youth organisations, schools, local authorities, businesses, community groups and young people, with everyone playing a part in creating a better future for Abingdon's young people.
However, meaningful partnership working requires more than goodwill. It needs dedicated time, coordination and resources to bring people together, maintain momentum and turn shared ambitions into practical action.
We recognise that established youth partnerships already exist across Oxfordshire, and our intention is not to duplicate or replace these. Instead, our local partnership will focus specifically on the priorities and learning emerging from the Abingdon Youth Strategy, ensuring that what young people have told us leads to meaningful action in their own community.
Over the coming months, local partners will explore how this collaboration can be strengthened, what resources will be needed to coordinate it effectively and how we can establish a sustainable approach to delivering the five priorities together.
The ambition is to build a partnership where responsibility is shared, organisations can contribute according to their strengths and progress is not dependent on any one organisation or short-term funding opportunity.
Making the five priorities everyone's business
How our strategy links to the national plans
To support joined-up thinking, we created three working groups, which are helping to bring the five priorities to the front and centre of our collective approach:
Our working groups
Our next steps
We do not want this to become another strategy that is launched and never looked at again. We are inspired by the young people of Abingdon and we will work by their side to bring this strategy to life and build on its progress.
Our immediate priorities are:
-
To explore funding sources to invest in necessary resourcing of the follow up work on this strategy. We need someone who can coordinate and take the lead on any future collective work. We are proposing a creation of a 'Youth Matters: Abingdon" Coordinator post, which would work on bringing this strategy to life.
-
To explore the process, costs, and logistics of purchasing and establishing a Youth Hub in Abingdon. This would act as the heart of youth work delivery in Abingdon, providing space for young people and adults working with them to Act, Belong, and Commit.
With time, we will use this space to build on those priorities and review the next steps to provide clarity and accountability.
What happens if nothing changes?
We've spent loads of time asking “What changes do we want to see?” and “What changes, if we get this right?”. But what happens if nothing changes? What happens to young people, families and our community if we've taken their time, experience, and energy, got the right people in the ‘room’ and listened to what they said, understood what young people needed…and then nothing changed?
Hi,
We're writing to you from the future. And we wanted to say thank you. Not just for listening to us. But for what you did afterwards.
Because when our community came together and young people asked for change, you didn't just listen and move on. You did something. You worked together. You kept your promises. And things started to change.
A young person who felt alone found somewhere they belonged. A young person who was struggling found someone they could talk to. A young person who thought nobody cared discovered that somebody did.
You probably won't know all their names. You'll probably never hear all their stories. But you helped change their lives.
Because for a long time, many young people felt invisible. Like decisions were made about us, not with us. Like our voices mattered least when they should have mattered most.
Some of us were lonely. Some of us were anxious. Some of us were carrying more than anyone realised.
And what we needed wasn't just services or another plan. We needed people. People who would listen. People who would believe in us. People who would make space for us. Places where we could just be young.
And because you chose to make that happen, more young people grew up feeling safe. Feeling connected. Feeling hopeful. Feeling like they mattered. And that changes everything.
The truth is, there was another future. One where nothing changed. One where young people kept feeling forgotten. One where people kept talking about us instead of listening to us. One where another generation grew up wondering if anybody really cared.
But that's not the future we're writing from. Because our community chose differently. You chose to act. You chose to work together. You chose to make young people a priority, not an afterthought.
And because of that, young people grew up knowing this town cared about them.
But there's something important you need to know. This isn't actually a letter from the future yet. It's just a possibility. The future we're describing is still in your hands.
Everything we're thanking you for hasn't happened yet. The young people we're talking about are still out there right now. Sitting in classrooms. Walking home alone. Trying to figure out where they fit in the world. Wondering if anybody sees them. Wondering if anybody cares. Wondering if things will ever get better.
They're waiting to see what happens next.
So please... Whether you're a decision maker, a business owner, a parent, a neighbour, or just someone who calls this town home... You have a part to play.
Don't let this become another strategy that sits on a shelf. Don't let our voices be heard today and forgotten tomorrow. Don't leave our future for someone else to sort out.
Because the choices you make today will shape the lives we get to live tomorrow.
Make this letter true.
Because one day, we'd love to be able to write it for real. And say:
"Thank you. You listened. You cared. You changed things."
Please don't let us down.
With hope,
The Young People of the Future
Make a pledge
-
You've heard what young people said.
-
You know what we already have.
-
You know what we need to preserve.
-
You've seen what young people imagine could be possible.
-
You know what we need to change.
What part will you play?
Our partners
Our impact
Evaluation is essential to ensuring that Youth Matters: Abingdon strategy remains accountable, effective, and responsive to the young people it serves. Measuring our impact will allow us to understand what is working and learn from any challenges. We will systematically track our progress against our five core priorities, celebrate successes, and remain accountable to our pledge of building a lasting, connected future for Abingdon. We want the young people who we are doing this for to be able to hold us, the community, partners, and funders who invest in our shared vision, accountable to making the change happen.
