Catch22 has been on the road at both the Conservative and Labour Party Conferences, making the most of the chance to connect with policymakers, discuss key issues and highlight our incredible work. It’s been an exciting, collaborative couple of weeks with many great conversations, debates, and potential partnerships emerging.
Conservative Party Conference: Holistic Solutions to Youth Violence
At the Conservative Conference, we hosted a panel focused on youth violence—and it was clear from the discussion that more police on the streets isn’t a silver bullet, with no simple solution. A place-based, holistic approach is what’s needed, tackling the root causes of violence like family breakdown, mental health, and lack of opportunities. We were proud to highlight The Hive in Camden, one of our community hubs, as a brilliant example of how integrated services- mental health support, education, and more – can create safe, supportive spaces for young people.
Labour Party Conference: Youth Voices and Green Jobs
Over at the Labour Conference, our roundtable on young people affected by violence focused on how we need a joined-up approach across government to make a difference—and that youth voices should be front and centre in those discussions. We also dived into how we can prepare the next generation for the green economy. Our employability programmes, supported by National Grid and Shell, are already working to get young people excited and ready for careers in renewable energy and sustainability. There’s a lot of work to do to ensure young people can access those opportunities, and we’re passionate about being part of that.
Policy Announcements
One of the biggest highlights at the Labour conference was hearing Keir Starmer commit to ensuring care-experienced young people have access to social housing and his announcement of new Foundation Apprenticeships. Both are huge steps forward in supporting vulnerable young people and giving them the tools they need for a bright future. Tackling youth violence remains at the heart of the new government’s agenda, as reflected in its five missions, and both the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary repeated the measures we hoped to see during our manifesto influencing campaign:
- Expanding youth services and mental health support to address the root causes of youth crime.
- Strengthening partnerships between schools, police, and communities to intervene early and prevent violence.
- Increasing investment in youth hubs and local programs to provide young people with safe spaces and guidance.
- Establishing youth hubs and providing additional resources to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system.
- Focus on addressing the root causes of youth violence through expanded mental health services and youth programs.
- Enhancing partnerships between schools, police, and local services to ensure coordinated support for at-risk youth.
This year’s conference season was energising, and we’re thrilled to see such commitment to the issues we care about—youth violence, employability, and support for vulnerable young people. There’s still plenty of work ahead, but we’re looking forward to collaborating with partners and policymakers to turn these conversations into real, impactful change. Learn more detail about our asks in our manifesto.