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1:1 Mentorship
Weekly sessions pairing young people aged 11–18 with vetted adult mentors from their own community. Average pairing lasts 14 months.
Learn moreMentorship, sport, leadership and career programmes for 8–25 year-olds — delivered by qualified, DBS-checked coaches and mentors who actually grew up in the communities we serve.
Funded by · Partnered with
Each programme runs across 8–24 weeks with measurable outcomes, qualified delivery staff and ongoing mentor support — at no cost to the young people we serve.
Weekly sessions pairing young people aged 11–18 with vetted adult mentors from their own community. Average pairing lasts 14 months.
Learn moreFootball, basketball and boxing sessions led by FA & ABA-qualified coaches. Pathway-focused — 23 alumni now playing semi-pro or above.
Learn more12-week leadership intensive: public speaking, project management, financial literacy. Graduates receive a Level 2 ILM accreditation.
Learn moreMusic production, photography, fashion and creative writing studios at our Hackney hub. Working studio equipment, industry guest tutors.
Learn moreCV workshops, mock interviews and direct paid work placements with our 40+ partner employers across London. 78% placement-to-job rate.
Learn moreFree, confidential counselling for young people facing exclusion, family breakdown, or mental health challenges. BACP-registered therapists.
Learn moreMeasured outcomes from our independently audited 2024–25 programme year. Full annual report available on request.
Youth Foundation Academy was founded in 2018 by three Hackney-born youth workers who'd spent a decade watching well-meaning charities parachute in, run a six-week programme, then disappear. We knew young people deserved better.
Today we operate from a 4,000 sq ft hub in Hackney with satellite delivery in 13 other London boroughs. Every member of our 28-person delivery team grew up in the communities we serve. Our trustees, our coaches, our mentors — local, accountable, present.
We're constituted as a Community Interest Company so every pound of surplus is locked into the mission. No shareholders. No private dividends. Just measurable outcomes for young Londoners.
Quotes drawn from our 2024–25 independent participant feedback survey. 487 responses collected.
"Before YFA I was about to be excluded from school. My mentor Marcus helped me see further than next week. Now I'm doing A-levels at sixth form and I want to study law."
"I came for the football. I stayed because they actually listen. Coach K knew what was going on at home before I even said it — and he didn't make a big deal, just made sure I was okay."
"As a mum, what I trust about YFA is that I know who's working with my daughter. They're from here. They get checked. They turn up every week. That matters more than any glossy brochure."
Drop in, learn what we do, meet our team. All sessions are free to attend.
Tour our Hackney hub, meet coaches and mentors, sign up your young person for our July–August intake. Refreshments provided.
Black-tie evening with keynote from Baroness Lawrence. Tables of 10 from £2,400. All proceeds fund 1:1 mentorship pairings for 2026–27.
For parents/guardians considering enrolling their young person. Q&A with our safeguarding lead, programme coordinators and current parents.
Whatever you have — time, money, opportunity — there's a way to turn it into impact.
Commit 2 hours a week for 12 months. We provide training, ongoing supervision and full DBS check. You provide the consistency one young person needs.
Every pound is mission-locked under our CIC structure. Gift Aid eligible. UK taxpayers can add 25% at no extra cost.
Corporate partnership, work placements, brand-aligned community programmes. We currently work with 40+ employers across London.