12/08/2026
At Together St Paul's, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to feel safe, valued and empowered to achieve their potential.
For over 50 years, we've supported children, young people and families across Balsall Heath and surrounding communities. Today, our growing youth offer provides safe spaces where young people can connect, develop new skills, improve their wellbeing and build brighter futures.
Our youth provision includes our Youth Hub, Girls' Group, detached youth work, mentoring, leadership opportunities, outdoor learning at St Paul's City Farm, holiday activities and volunteering — all shaped by the voices of the young people we support.
Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, our four-year RISE (Resilience, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment) programme is helping even more young people aged 11–18 access opportunities to grow in confidence, develop resilience and become positive changemakers within their communities.
The impact is already clear:
💥 100% of young people say their wellbeing has improved.
💥 100% say staff listen to and respect them.
💥 96% feel safe at Youth Hub.
💥 89% say their confidence has grown.
💥 88% would recommend the Youth Hub to a friend.
💥 78% have made new friendships.
💥 67% have become more physically active.
Young people also tell us they feel a real sense of belonging, rating their feeling of inclusion at 9.14/10, comfort in taking part at 9.57/10, and being part of their community at 8.92/10.
But these numbers only tell part of the story. The photographs from our youth programme capture some of the experiences, relationships and opportunities behind the statistics.
The picture of the boys hanging out was taken during our World Cup event. They were also the first group of young people to come through the service and are the lads we've been working with regularly on Thursdays on the pitch. It's a great example of how sport can create a starting point for relationships, confidence and engagement.
The photograph taken from behind was captured during a trip to the Blues stadium, where the young people were given a tour of the grounds. Opportunities such as this allow young people to experience places and activities that they may not otherwise have access to, while building shared experiences and positive memories together.
The photograph with everyone's hands in the middle captures a really wholesome moment between the young people. It was also a lovely way of making sure everyone could be included in the picture. Taken near the start of the holiday programme, it reflects the sense of belonging and togetherness that we want young people to experience through our provision.
Finally, the spray-painting photograph comes from an awareness campaign that the young people have been talking about and developing over a period of time. The campaign is known as the Balsall Heath Eco Warriors.
As part of the campaign, the girls went around Balsall Heath spray-painting different types of rubbish they found in the local area, particularly fast-food containers, vapes and laughing gas canisters, alongside other general litter. They used bright neon pink to highlight the amount of rubbish and litter within their community, helping to make the issue more visible and raise awareness of the impact it has on their local environment.
These are more than just activities. They show young people building friendships, developing confidence, exploring new experiences, expressing themselves and taking action on issues that matter to them and their community.
Importantly, they've also told us where they need us most. While they feel connected and supported, they're less confident in speaking up and managing difficult situations. Through RISE, we're responding by helping young people strengthen their confidence, resilience and voice, ensuring they have the skills to navigate challenges and shape their own futures.
This International Youth Day, we're celebrating the passion, talent and potential of Birmingham's young people and reaffirming our commitment to investing in them. When young people are given the right opportunities, trusted relationships and a voice, they don't just change their own lives — they strengthen entire communities.
We'd like to thank The National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players for making RISE possible, alongside our staff, volunteers, partners and, most importantly, the incredible young people who continue to inspire everything we do.
