Uniformed youth groups: Promoting Skills and Resilience in Young People

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Excerpts

Monday 26th January 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of uniformed youth groups on promoting skills and resilience in young people.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

We recognise the excellent contribution and impact of uniformed youth organisations. The Government have directly funded their work since 2022. There is a range of existing research that shows the positive impact of uniformed youth organisations on young people and their lives. Ipsos independently evaluated the DCMS-funded uniformed youth fund from 2022 to 2025. The evaluation found evidence supporting the positive impact of uniformed youth organisation membership on young people’s well-being, social and emotional development, skills and community connectedness.

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that fabulous reply. I could not agree with her more. We know that uniformed youth groups will play a vital role in delivering the Government’s new youth strategy. Groups such as the Scouts, the Girl Guides, all our cadets, the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade and of course the Girls Brigade and Boys’ Brigade do an amazing job. Will the Minister encourage her department to look again at the funding arrangements so that these groups can retain staff during the transition from the uniformed youth fund, which is coming to an end in March, to the new funding arrangements that will come into place with the new youth strategy? It is great to put the contribution of these groups on the record here today.