Matt Lent
@mattlent.bsky.social
CEO of youth employment charity - youthcareers.bsky.social and Trustee at Young Barnet Foundation. Expect posts about young people, education, employment, politics & charity matters.
New post just out: I talked to Alan Milburn on why the government is struggling, how politics has changed since he was in Blair's cabinet, and how he's proposing to tackle youth unemplyoment. (Free to read) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...
"My generation thought in argument"
Alan Milburn on how politics has changed and tackling youth unemployment
open.substack.com
This is one of the most damning indictments of the previous Government and the damaging austerity agenda. It's impact is being felt deeply today and will last for a generation.
Nerys Anthony@nerys-a.bsky.social · 6mo agoFirst national mapping of youth centres in decades is not a pretty picture. Since 2010, cuts hit the poorest communities hardest, esp. in the North. Young people don't have access to trusted adults, safe spaces & early support. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent 🇺🇸 right now… there’s obviously a lot of things going on I’m not the biggest fan of.” #Olympics2026 #TrumpsAmerica
This site keeps track of Trump's corruption for us, because our brains can't hold that much data.. campaignlegal.org/sites/defaul...
campaignlegal.org
Brexit was always going to be a disaster for so many, but as is usually the way, it’s young people who felt the biggest impact. The rejoining of Erasmus is a meaningful win, next we need the right for under 25s to live and work in the EU. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme
Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say
theguardian.com
How dare we include asylum seekers in the conversation about asylum seekers 🙄
Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social · 8mo agoThe Express is furious about this because the moment you show those who repeat anti-immigration rhetoric the real human stories their narrative collapses. The “immigrants” are people. Our friends, colleagues and family. And it’s this nation of neighbours that is what makes Britain great.
Can we call them the 10 greediest people in the world please!?
Forbes@forbes.com · 8mo agoThese are the 10 richest people in the world right now.
✅ Vote! Vote! Vote! ✅ So much hard work was put into the curation of our new film, so it feels so rewarding to be shortlisted for the Smiley Charity Film Awards. Please vote and share with your networks! Vote here‼️- smileycharityfilmawards.com/films/about-...
About Youth Careers Collective
The Smiley Charity Film Awards is the world’s biggest campaign to promote cause-based films. Nearly half a million members of the public have voted in the…
smileycharityfilmawards.com
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten. "I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
A million young people aren’t in a job or training. Britain has a problem | Richard Partington
A million young people aren’t in a job or training. Britain has a problem | Richard Partington
With the jobless rate now at 4.8%, ministers are urged to do more, especially for those with disabilities or health conditions
theguardian.com
We can finally share our new film, kindly funded by helpfilm and beautifully curated by Orlando Del Maestro. Check it out below: www.youtube.com/watch?si=jsX...
About Youth Careers Collective
YouTube video by Youth Careers Collective
youtube.com
So it’s ok for these numpties to migrate to another country because of political differences, but not for others to migrate to another country to flee war, persecution, environmental disaster or severe economic hardship.
James Fitzgerald@jamesfitzjourno.bsky.social · 10mo agoMigrating because of migration - curious.
"Trump has ordered a crackdown on Antifa, as if Antifa were an actual organisation with a head, phone number, or a committee. "MAGA is associating people who protest with a radicalised terrorist network that they have created in their own imagination" www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/maga...
MAGA’s war on Antifa: ‘A terror network they have created in their own imagination’ | The News Agents
House Speaker Mike Johnson has warned of Antifa-backed ‘hate America’ marches taking place this weekend, but is it just protests arranged by pensioners furious at Donald Trump’s administration?
thenewsagents.co.uk
For those who don’t work in youth work, it’s hard to describe how bleak it is out there. We just pulled the rug on a generation of young people and are now shrugging our shoulders and hoping social media is the cause of all ills because then it feels less of our fault
Simon Parker@simonparker.bsky.social · 10mo agoThe absolute bloody vandalism of austerity in one chart. Good analysis of the overall picture here.
"More than half of the young people involved said they would like to reduce screen time, but 46% felt “unable” to. And then came the kicker: “93% of young people who have attended a youth centre say it has made a positive difference to their lives.”"
Britain's youth clubs have been quietly decimated. What's most revealing is that few seem to care | John Harris
These vital spaces have been the first targets of cuts in a nation that favours age over youth – despite being the remedy for blights such as social division, polarisation and loneliness, says Guardia...
theguardian.com
Wednesday, before Yom Kippur came in, I took three friends from my local Jewish community around the Houses of Parliament. /
The wait is finally over. For the past 6 months we’ve been working hard behind the scenes on an exciting and important change, and we are now very proud to let you know that from November this year, Spark! will become Youth Careers Collective.
“Let’s call it for what it is: bullshit. The truth is, politicians have talked about little else but immigration for decades and in the most dehumanising ways. Polanski added: “Stop the boats’ is all we hear. Well, today I'm saying ‘stop the bullshit’.” www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
UK faces ‘battle for the soul’ of the country, says Starmer amid Reform threat
In a rallying cry to progressives around the world, the Prime Minister said allies must stop the ‘politics of predatory grievance’.
independent.co.uk
1243 youth centres have closed since 2010. 42 percent of local authorities have no council-run youth centres in their area. I wonder why so many young people feel disconnected. (From harpercollins.co.uk/products/how...)
How to Defeat the Far Right: Lessons From Hope Not Hate
‘A brilliant and challenging book’ GORDON BROWN From the founder of Britain’s leading antifascist organisation, HOPE not hate, this is an urgent call to resist the forces of extremism on the march in ...
harpercollins.co.uk
'Farage's core claim is that he somehow speaks for the British people, that his views reflect the “commonsense” views of the silent majority. It’s not true. On issue after issue, including those that define him, he is out of step with most Britons.' Latest column www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump has dragged the US to the abyss and Nigel Farage would do the same to Britain. Here’s how to stop him | Jonathan Freedland
It’s not too late to puncture the Reform leader’s populist myth. His ‘make Britain great again’ act is out of step with the British people, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
theguardian.com
There is no organisation called Antifa, at best it’s a loose affiliation of activists, with some vague common values and goals, i.e. being anti-fascist. What this made up classification as a terrorist organisation means is, they can lock up/disappear whoever they want by just calling them #Antifa.
Our CEO, @mattlent.bsky.social and our Head of Impact, Jay St.John Levy, were pleased to be at the launch of the #YouthCensus2025 this afternoon, hosted by Youth Employment UK. An important annual census into the experience of young people across the country.
"I’ve grown increasingly frustrated making the case for why investment in communities – and building trust within them – is essential to solving political, social, environmental and economic challenges" @helengou.bsky.social @theyoungfdn.bsky.social
Helen Goulden: Our institutions need to work together differently to achieve better social outcomes
But as I leave the sector after 17 years, the prospect of meaningful action to accompany government rhetoric feels intangible
thirdsector.co.uk
