Our young leaders have been busy both in the UK and further afield. Take a look at how Restless Development youth leaders are making a difference.

In the UK

Young Gamechangers Fund

The Young Gamechangers Fund was designed in 2023 as a way to put young people at the heart of decision making in the UK.

Restless Development and our partners searched for young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs to lead youth-led social action across the UK, with two types of funding available:  

• Funding for individuals  
• Funding for groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £250,000 

We prioritised support for young activists who are committed to creating communities that are prosperous, safe, diverse, equitable and inclusive, healthy, and sustainable. In particular we wanted to support groups and communities that prioritise youth activism and shared power.

Successful applicants also got access to peer support networks, training and mentoring to help their vision come to life – putting young people at the heart of change.

Mungano is an example of a group of young people the Young Game Changers support. This is a team who wanted to provide free football coaching in Manchester as a way to prevent anti-social behaviour. Coaching is provided to those as young as 8 and provides young people a safe and supportive community in Manchester. The group have engaged local councillors to ensure they are providing the best service possible to ensure young people have a fun space to engage with peers.

Further Afield 

Delhi Learning Lab

Youth Climate Action Lab is a youth-led movement on addressing the issues of climate change in Urban Bengaluru, India, one of the most pressing issues affecting young people.

We are supporting 11 young climate champions to engage their peers, communities and key decision makers. Members of the Youth Climate Action Lab have identified the issues that climate change poses in their communities and mobilised 700 young people. The aim is to build a movement that drives progress towards the state climate action plan. The champions are amplifying the voices of young people by representing them at global events like COP27. 

Restless Development in India has also launched a podcast series on conversations on climate change. More details on our climate champions can be found here.

She SOARS

She SOARS (Sexual and reproductive Health & Economic empowerment Supporting Out of school  Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills) aims to improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for adolescents, particularly out-of-school adolescent girls, in Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda, and support the realisation of these rights.

The programme delivers Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), life skills, and financial literacy programming for out-of-school adolescent girls and boys between 10 and 19 years old. It provides evidence based sexual and reproductive health information, looking to tackle the root causes of gender-based inequalities. This is done by improving health services, particularly to young girls, so they have more of a choice over their own bodies. 

The project is creating a positive impact as community members and leaders have started accepting and appreciating the benefits of conversations around sexual and reproductive health services and information among adolescents.

Want to know more about our recent work?