15/06/2026
At Motiv8, we work with young people facing complex challenges, providing safe spaces, trusted relationships, and opportunities to build confidence, resilience and positive futures.
In Portsmouth, many of the young people we support are at risk exploitation. With limited access to safe spaces, many are spending time in stairwells, on the streets, or in parks, often because of cramped living conditions, cost of living pressures, and a lack of local youth work provision. Prior to our application to The National Lottery Million Hours Fund, we saw over 200 safeguarding incidents, with youth violence, and violence in the home accounting for 36%.
Through this funding, we delivered 576 hours of targeted evening youth provision, creating free, inclusive Youth Hubs for young people aged 11–17 in areas of high need. Our highly skilled youth support workers, who hold trusted relationships with young people locally, provided consistent support through our Youth Hubs, and youth-led activities, alongside discussions on key issues such as mental health, knife crime, sexual health, relationships and staying safe.
These sessions gave young people somewhere safe to go, people they could trust, and positive ways to spend their time, whether through creative and physical activities, cooking skills or simply having their voices heard.
As a result of our Youth Hubs and Youth Mentoring sessions, young people have built stronger relationships, engaged in positive activities, and felt safer and more supported in their communities, helping to reduce risk-taking behaviours and create lasting change.
This is the impact of providing the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
This is the impact of our Million Hours funding, for that The National Lottery Community Fund we thank you💙
