Like so many of the young people that we support, YouthNet is ‘coming of age’.
As we enter our 16th year, we’re proud to be leading the way in providing online information, advice and guidance for 16 to 25 year olds and to run the UK’s national volunteering database, Do-it.
Since our early days we’ve published around 2,000 articles on TheSite.org and welcomed just over 49,000 young people to TheSite.org community boards. We’ve answered around 45,367 questions from young people about everything from relationships to study and careers and have more than 144,000 16 to 25 year olds visiting TheSite.org each month.
Through Do-it we now provide 1 million opportunities to volunteer and handle a new application around every 44 seconds. The difference that every one of these can make in their local community is overwhelming and we thank all the Volunteer Centres and partners that we work with to make this happen.
As a charity, we’ve achieved all this with the support of around 2,000 fantastic volunteers who have helped us to deliver our services, including our amazing young TheSite.org Leaders and peer advisors. Again, we thank each and every one for their support.
To mark our special birthday, we’ve done some rather special things. Have a look at our timeline showing what we’ve been up to for the last 16 years, just some of the things obviously! And here you can read about research we’ve undertaken in to the hopes and fears of young people in the UK – an insight in to the impact that the changing economic climate has had on young people’s aspirations.
“YouthNet is sweet 16 and ready to be unleashed on the world. My baby has grown up splendidly. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Martyn Lewis, Chairman and Founder, YouthNet
“Happy Birthday YouthNet! Lots to celebrate as YouthNet has achieved so much in that time. All through the hard work of past and present staff, our wonderful volunteers, the dedicated trustees and the supporters who have helped YouthNet to make a difference.”
Emma Thomas, CEO, YouthNet
You can also leave us your birthday messages below, we’d love to hear from you.!
Have a happy birthday you guys, for all the hard work and effort every single one of you puts in every day, the celebrations are more than well deserved.
Keep up the good work and never let things end up standing still, never ending momentum over 16 years has helped make this place what it is today.
Happy Sweet 16th, YouthNet!
Thanks to you guys, I’m where I am today. Way back in Spring 2009, when I was a slightly disillusioned recent graduate and finding it tough to even find full-time work, let alone start my career, if I hadn’t visited Do-it.org and found the online volunteering opportunity with Lifetracks.com, I’d most likely still be living with my parents and trying to make ends meet in a job I probably wouldn’t really be enjoying!
The online volunteering opportunity led to visiting the YouthNet office and meeting the friendly team, who were so welcoming in offering the opportunity to complete some work experience. This led to applying for the Vodafone World of Difference programme for a two month funded placement with the MarComms team and on successfully winning a place, the rest they say is history!
I’m now working in marketing for a children’s charity in London and without the support and encouragment of YouthNet (they certainly practice what they preach), and of course, the somewhat lucky break thanks to the Vodafone Foundation, I wouldn’t have the experience on my CV that has so far led me to a number of fantastic positions with great charities.
I didn’t want to give up and I certainly didn’t want to be another number in the government unemployment stats, but I was in a bit of a difficult position in my young life and needed some guidance. YouthNet were there for me and I will always be very grateful of your support.