The Archbishop of York Youth Trust is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with the Allchurches Trust that will enable the work of the Young Leaders Award to expand nationally.

The Youth Trust was founded by Dr John Sentamu in 2009 when he announced his vision to empower a new generation of young leaders who would be the change that they need to see in our schools and communities.  Through the Young Leaders Award, an active citizenship and character education programme for all schools, the Youth Trust have so far reached over 63,000 young people across the North of England; helping them to grow in confidence and building their leadership skills to make a difference in local communities and beyond.

Allchurches Trust have awarded a grant of over half a million to the Youth Trust for the next three years to enable them to expand this work to schools across the whole country.  In September 2017, the University of Gloucestershire completed an independent research report looking at how the Award positively effects young people’s personal, social and educational development.

Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England said at the House of Bishops meeting today that:

“At the heart of the Church of England’s vision for education is the message given in Jesus of ‘life in all its fullness’. The Archbishop of York’s Young Leaders Award is already enabling hundreds of schools to educate for wisdom, hope, community and respect, and I’m delighted that the Youth Trust seeks to make the awards available nationally, reaching out with Good News to some of the most vulnerable in our society”.

Michael Arlington, trustee of Allchurches Trust, said:

“This is a fantastic project making a positive difference to the lives of young people, giving them the skills and confidence they need to be a force for good within their communities. I’m delighted that our grant will enable the Young Leaders Award to be rolled out in schools across the UK, building on the great work of the Youth Trust throughout the North of England.”

The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said:

“I am always impressed by young people who are doing this Award, by their creativity and willingness to serve and volunteer.  I regularly hear from them about their youth social action in care homes, in renovation projects, in caring for the homeless, in community litter-picks and in raising money for many charities.  It is thanks to Allchurches Trust that we are now able to reach even more young people, in both the north and the south!”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby said:

“It will be of huge benefit to see the Young Leaders Award rolled out across the country, enabling young people to grow in confidence and vision, and equipping them to make a difference for the Common Good in their local communities and beyond. This provides the opportunity for participating young people to grasp something of the essential nature of the Church, as bringing good news for everyone, working together for the Common Good.”

To view a short film providing a summary of the University of Gloucestershire Research:

About Allchurches Trust

Allchurches Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities. In 2017, Allchurches Trust gave £15.6 million to churches, charities and communities.  Established in 1972, Allchurches Trust funds come from our ownership of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, which was founded in 1887.  Our grants further our charitable objectives of promoting the Christian faith and other charitable causes. We welcome applications from all parts of the UK and Ireland, particularly from areas of social and economic deprivation.  We fund projects that tackle homelessness, poverty and social exclusion, enabling individuals and communities to thrive. We also support the repair, restoration and wider community use of churches and cathedrals of all denominations. Follow Allchurches Trust on Twitter, Facebook or visit our website:  www.allchurches.co.uk for more information. Twitter - @AllchurchesT Facebook – www.Facebook.com/AllchurchesTrust