An open letter to the UK Youth Fund and Pears Foundation
A letter from AMP*, Forge**, and a collective of professionals working in the education and creative sector in North Yorkshire.
We were excited to learn about the UK Youth Fund and Pears Foundation launching a new £10 million fund recently, providing multi-year, unrestricted funding alongside targeted capacity-building support to small youth organisations. However, we were extremely disappointed to see that of the locations listed as eligible for funding, not one of them was in North Yorkshire. All other parts of Yorkshire had representation.
AMP published a major report in 2024, Gone in the Air, based on new research with young people in North Yorkshire. It revealed some very concerning barriers that young people in rural areas face when it comes to engaging with events and opportunities, a general lack of investment in rural areas, as well as additional barriers such as poor transport, infrastructure and digital poverty. We are sad to see that lack of investment continuing today.
Around 18% of the UK’s population live in rural areas, and this percentage has been rising. Inequalities are magnified by higher costs of living, limiting families’ ability to support activities at their own cost: “People in rural areas typically need to spend 10–20% more on everyday requirements than those in urban areas.” (Joseph Rowntree Foundation). The more remote the area, the greater these additional costs.
Transport is a huge problem that disproportionately affects rurally based young people. Over a quarter of rural bus routes have been cut, meaning travelling to the nearest city to access opportunities is simply not an option.
Rural poverty can often be hidden by averages that are skewed by the wealthier households, but it’s a reality for so many of the young people we work with. Statistical measures (such as Indices of Multiple Deprivation) identify deprived places not people. This often renders areas of rural poverty invisible, as it tends to be more scattered than in urban areas and can be disguised by averages that include very wealthy people living near those with very low incomes. This not only affects individuals living in this situation whose needs are not being met, but leads to policy decisions that overlook the nuances of rural life and fail to allocate funding accordingly. It leaves many families struggling with higher living costs.
We’re asking you to take action by rethinking funding formulas and to create a more inclusive approach to investment for young people in the UK. We would like to see a revised approach that does not leave some of the most isolated communities in the country out of future funding programmes.
We think that young people in rural areas deserve the same opportunities as young people in towns and cities. We all need to work together to ensure their future is supported.