For many young people, the transition to adulthood isn’t easy. In the UK, one third of young people are lonely, half feel unready for work and half feel like they don’t belong to their community. What’s more, in Greater Manchester, 1 in 3 children live in poverty. With the additional challenges of Covid-19, young people have never been more in need of support: one million under 25s in the UK are expected to face unemployment and 80% of young people with a history of mental ill health have said their condition is getting worse.

At GMYN (Greater Manchester Youth Network), our vision is #YoungPeopleCan and we help young people in Greater Manchester succeed despite this tough environment. We deliver a range of development programmes and drop-in activities to help young people aged 13-25 transition to adulthood feeling skilled, supported and positive. Our focus is supporting young people who face significant challenges, including those with experience of the care system (looked after children and care leavers); special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) challenges.

Founded in 2007 by our Chief Executive, Alex Fairweather, GMYN has grown from a single project to become an established local charity. We have supported over 15,000 young people and now deliver over 25 programmes across Greater Manchester.

Our values are:
• Compassion: We care
• Inclusivity: We want to involve everyone
• Collaboration: We work together
• Authenticity: We are real
• Transformation: We make change