An illustration of three young people


Our Mission:
Youth

By 2025, every young person has access to economic opportunity that enables them to be safe and secure.

Camden is home to world-class education, training and career opportunities. But young people don’t have equal access to them – especially children with experience of the youth justice system, and children and young people who are care-experienced, disabled, have special educational needs (SEND), and low school attendance.

We established the Youth Mission to address this inequity and to reduce the impact that the pandemic had on these young people.

We wanted to deliver measurable progress and impact by 2025 (read about this below!) – and by 2030:

  • Camden should be a place where young people can easily find good jobs and training opportunities
  • Young people should have a say in creating opportunities in the borough
  • Camden should have welcoming spaces where young people can get support, find information, or feel inspired


What we’ve achieved so far

We’ve continued to develop our core offer of support for young people – including our Camden Young Talent Guarantee and Camden STEAM. We’ve also been working in new ways with young people, our communities, partners and local businesses to introduce new initiatives:

  • We awarded care experienced children and young people with local protected characteristic status – and they will all get free Wi-Fi until their 25. We’ve also started a care-experienced internship programme at the council.
  • We’ve introduced supported internships for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to gain workplace experience and skills in a structured, supportive environment.
  • With Fitzrovia Youth In Action, we developed a school attendance peer mentoring programme. It’s helped us reach children who are persistently absent, train young mentors, and establish new support networks.
  • We launched Camden’s Disability Job Hub to improve disability awareness and inclusive hiring practices with employers. Since 2023, over 75 residents have been onboarded, 8 have secured jobs, 7 have secured paid work experience, and 10 have got education and training.
  • We launched Honest Grind Coffee, which provides training, hands-on experience and a pathway into employment for children with experience of the Youth Justice System. Participants and their families have praised the programme, no-one has reoffended, and 22 qualifications have been awarded.
  • In 2024, we launched London AI Campus with Camden Learning and Google – a two-year pilot to help inspire, inform and educate sixth form students in AI.

You can read more in the latest ‘state of the mission’ report – published in May 2025.


Our ambitions for 2025 to 2026

  • We’ll be launching Camden Community Wealth Fund and investing an initial £2m in businesses creating opportunities for young people. Our Youth Panel will be helping to make decisions about who gets investment.
  • Strengthening council-led programmes to connect more young people to meaningful employment and career pathways, and championing internships.
  • Delivering one of the Government’s Youth Guarantee Trailblazers with other Central London boroughs – focused on care-experienced young people.
  • Partnering with Autonomy to explore a basic income pilot for care-experienced young people.
  • Launching a Primary Careers Fair to connect children with relatable role models.


How you can get involved

  • If you run a business in Camden, our Future Talent Team can help you provide meaningful opportunities for children and young people to develop skills, and get work experience, job and mentoring opportunities – particularly those from our priority cohorts. Email futuretalent@camden.gov.uk
  • If you run a business in the scientific, digital or creative and cultural economy, sign up to our STEAM pledge to offer meaningful work experience and job opportunities to young people. Email steampledge@camden.gov.uk and we will be in touch to support you through the next steps.
  • Consider refreshing internal recruitment processes and policies to be more accessible and inclusive to help young people get a foot in the door.
  • If you’re a resident with a great idea for a youth project in your local area, apply to the We Make Camden Kit for funding and support.

Get in touch

If you have questions or ideas, need support, can help us, or want to work together, we’d love to hear from you. Email WeMakeCamden@camden.gov.uk

Read about people tackling the Youth Mission

The Apex Project
The Apex Project 2560 1707 WeMakeCamden

The Apex Project

Breaking barriers to employment for young people We want all young people to have economic opportunity and to create more…

NW5 Project
NW5 Director Sharley and her staff are pictured with young people on a scenic bridge over a waterway.
NW5 Project 1320 976 WeMakeCamden

NW5 Project

Community Champion: An interview with Sharley Newitt, NW5 Project Manager We’re always inspired by the incredible individuals who are making…

The Special Cooperative
Sylvania and Arun stand with a young person and parent outside the Greenwood centre holding crates of fruit and vegetables. Everyone is smiling.
The Special Cooperative 2560 1707 WeMakeCamden

The Special Cooperative

Empowering disabled young people to build independence and make a difference in Kentish Town Arun and Sylvania founded the Special…

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