4YP - Bedford

08/06/2026

Are you a L6 Careers Adviser (or trainee careers adviser) working with young people in and around Bedfordshire or the south midlands career hub area? Join the 4YP Careers team for an hour of discussion, reflection, networking and idea sharing!

02/06/2026

It’s Volunteers’ Week — and we want to say a huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers at 4YPUK. Your time, care and commitment help young people feel seen, supported and encouraged every single week.

This Volunteers’ Week, we’re celebrating the people who make a difference — and inviting new volunteers to join us and be part of that impact.

Could you be one of them? We currently have three exciting volunteer opportunities:

1. Emotional Wellbeing Mentor – Support a young person aged 11+ by meeting weekly in school or in the community. If you can listen without judgement and offer encouragement, you could make a life-changing difference.

2. Volunteer Youth Support Worker – Join our 4YPUK youth clubs and help create safe, positive spaces for young people while gaining valuable experience, building confidence and developing your skills.

3. Career Mentor – Support Year 9 and 10 students in Bedford to build aspiration, confidence and direction for their future. This role helps young people facing disadvantage to engage with their goals and potential.

Thank you to every one of our current volunteers for the difference you make. If you’ve been thinking about giving your time to support young people, this Volunteers’ Week is the perfect time to get involved with 4YPUK. For further information on any of our volunteer roles please email [email protected] or visit our website www.4ypuk.com

22/05/2026

4YPUK are absolutely delighted to announce that our very own Fran Johnson has been awarded the “Highly Commended” prize at this year’s Bedford Independent Everyday Hero Awards.

We nominated Fran for this award because, if ever there was a great Bedfordian, it’s her.

Fran came to us in 2024 as a volunteer — a pensioner curious to learn more about our youth club and willing to offer her time and support. She didn’t have to; she simply wanted to help. And that’s Fran in a nutshell.

She has spent most of her life serving others as a nurse, counsellor, youth worker, member of the Navy, and now through her volunteering with 4YP, her church youth group, and her constant support for neighbours, friends, and family. Helping people isn’t just something she does; it’s who she is.

Despite retiring several years ago, her passion for helping others has never faded. She continues to give her time, energy, and kindness without ever seeking recognition. She notices the person quietly struggling and reaches out to listen and support them, doing whatever is needed wholeheartedly and without hesitation. There are no half measures with Fran.

We see her impact every week at Great Denham Youth Club. She is one of our incredible volunteers, and both the young people and the team adore her. She looks out for everyone, brings warmth to every session, makes a fantastic cup of tea, and never fails to make us laugh. The young people look forward to chatting with her each week and love baking and cooking alongside her or teaching her new card games. She now beats us all at Uno.

Fran never seeks praise, reward, or the spotlight. She simply wants to help. But Bedford deserves to know who she is. She has spent a lifetime quietly making this town a better, safer, and kinder place.

We are incredibly lucky to have someone as generous, selfless, and uplifting as Fran on our team. She is unquestionably an unsung hero.

22/05/2026

What a night! 🎉 On Wednesday, we celebrated the Ignite Bedfordshire final, where 16 brilliant individuals and teams from Biddenham International School & Sports College , Bedford Modern School, St Thomas More Secondary School and Sixth Form and Bedford School pitched their business ideas to a packed room of guests.

The creativity, confidence and ambition on show were incredible. The ideas included:

· Swap Circle – a sustainability app designed to support people swapping school uniforms and textbooks instead of buying new
· Cleaning pod – a multipurpose cleaning system using colour coded pods
· Disco politics – a platform for political education for children
· Seraya – a luxury skincare brand rooted in astronomy and our link to stardust
· Vending machines – tailored vending solutions for business sites
· Gripease – a kitchen aid to support arthritis sufferers
· Matchday marketing – a digital marketing agency specialising in sports clubs
· Fifi’s Leavers Shirts – creates customised pre decorated school leaver shirts
· Time2Revise – a revision timetable platform
· Work experience App – to connect young people with work experience
· Life Bloom – an app to teach young people essential life skills
· Defy Studios – a streetwear clothing brand supporting men’s mental health
· LettuceFlow – building scalable game development in Roblox platform
· StudySphere – peer to peer study and skill exchange for sixth form students
· Pocket PA – an AI marketing assistant
· Vieda – e-commerce platform for tech gadgets

A huge thank you to the local business owners, entrepreneurs, Bedford Borough Council representatives and the Deputy Lieutenant for Bedfordshire who joined us, shared their insight and gave such valuable encouragement to these inspiring young entrepreneurs.

Even more exciting, some of these ventures are already up and running, with students generating real income and gaining real-world experience. The feedback they received was tailored to help them take their next big step.

Ignite Bedfordshire is a growing collaboration between Simon Everitt at Bedford School, Lorna Godden at 4YPUK, Jo Ward at Young Enterprise and schools across the region — all working together to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and changemakers.

Bedfordshire is full of opportunity, and the energy in the room proved just how much potential our young people have. We’re so excited to keep building connections, confidence and opportunities that help them thrive.

Congratulations to everyone involved — we can’t wait to see what happens next! ✨

18/05/2026

4YP are delighted to run this Taste of the Workplace work experience programme on behalf of Bedford Giving.

Thanks to Paula Riding, our Employability Manager for all her hard work in pulling this outstanding programme together.

An event is dramatically scaled up from 30 pupils to 200.

18/05/2026

🏆Young Achiever award Winner – Rahul Bandha🏆

4YP is delighted to announce that Rahul has won the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes “Young Achiever Award” which recognises his exceptional dedication, personal growth, and outstanding commitment to young people across Bedford.

Rahul first came to 4YP as a young member of our youth club. Even then, there was something special about him, his warmth, his enthusiasm, and the easy way he had with others. Our youth workers spotted his potential early, encouraged him to grow, and grow he did. From a participant, to Young Leader, to committed volunteer, he has grown into being a paid member of our youth team giving four evenings a week and every Saturday morning. He is committed to learning and development – on top of his mechanical studies, he has achieved his First Aid qualification and working towards his coaching qualifications. He doesn't have to, he wants to. That says everything about who he is.

On top of that, he prioritises the development of others, and is a mentor on our Emotional wellbeing project. He supports young males who are disengaged from school and are at risk of anti-social behaviour. And good young male role models like Rahul, offering his time freely, are pure gold.

Rahul brings so much to the young people he works with. He uses sport to get them active and engaged, and his love of drawing opens doors with young people who might struggle to find their voice in other ways. His maturity and genuine curiosity about the world mean he connects easily with young people from all kinds of backgrounds; they trust him, and that trust is well earned.

We at 4YP are incredibly proud of Rahul. He came to us as a young person who needed support, and he has become someone who gives it in abundance. He is exactly the kind of young achiever this award was created to celebrate.

14/05/2026

Wishing all students the very best of luck in your GCSEs, A-levels and BTEC exams! Remember, your results do not define you and there is always support available. If you need guidance, reassurance or someone to talk to about your next steps, our 4YP careers advisers are here for you every step of the way.

12/05/2026

4YPUK were delighted to be nominated at the Bedford Independent Everyday Hero awards for our emotional wellbeing career mentoring programme. This project offers young people a safe, welcoming space to talk, reflect and explore their feelings with a trained volunteer mentor.

💚 This week it is also Mental Health Awareness Week - and this project along with our youth clubs are here for you - no matter what you’re going through, you are not alone. Whether you need someone to talk to, a safe space to relax, or just people who care.

This week is all about raising awareness, supporting each other, and reminding young people that their mental health matters every single day.

💚 Check in with your friends
💚 Take a break when you need it
💚 Make time for the things that help you feel good — whether that’s music, sport, gaming, being outdoors, or simply having a chat
💚 Remember: asking for help is a sign of strength

Our youth clubs and mentoring sessions are a place where you can be yourself, feel supported, and know that someone is always ready to listen.

11/05/2026

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised Employer Partnerships Manager to lead and grow our employability programmes, including career mentoring and work experience projects for young people. This role involves building strong relationships with employers, schools and other partners, recruiting and supporting volunteers, coordinating programme delivery, and ensuring high-quality outcomes for students.

The successful candidate will be a confident communicator and relationship-builder, with strong project coordination skills and the ability to work independently. You will play a key role in promoting programmes, managing delivery across schools in Bedford, supporting safeguarding processes, and monitoring impact through reporting and evaluation.

This is a home-based role with travel required for delivery across schools in Bedford. The post is 35 hours per week, offered initially as a 1-year fixed-term contract, with potential for renewal and permanency. Salary: £30,000–£33,500 FTE. Enhanced DBS required.
For a full job description and application form please contact [email protected]
Closing Date: Friday 29th May 11.30pm

08/05/2026

Don't forget to pop along to our artwork exhibition at John Bunyan Gallery from 1pm to see the work produced by our amazing youth clubs!

Free entry and free refreshments!

Please join us for our end of project celebration event! Our young people have created some truly amazing work as part of our youth club creative media project, and they will be proudly displaying their pieces at the John Bunyan Gallery in Bedford town on 9th May. Please come along to see some terrific artwork!
If you can make it please sign up here:
https://forms.office.com/e/0Prsn0BdM1