It’s been an incredible year and a half on the Young Leaders project and we’d like to tell you what we’ve been doing.

To remind you, Young Leaders is a National peer-led, grant-giving, sex and relationships education project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund for three years. It is a preventative response to the escalating rates of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) amongst young people in the UK.

We consulted 120 young people from diverse backgrounds to develop the project and it is based on their views about what kind of Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) they need, who is best placed to deliver it, and how they would like to increase their knowledge and skills in this area.

Each year a board of young people (13-19 years old) are recruited in seven regions across England, to establish and manage a grant programme to support SRE projects created by other young people. 

The regional boards are supported by a national board of 14 young people, comprising two elected members of each of the regional boards. The national board ensure a co-ordinated national approach for the whole project. Board members receive comprehensive training and work towards achieving recognised Open College Network (OCN) accreditation.  

Young people aged 13-19 who are living, working or studying in the seven regions and belong to a youth organisation apply to their regional board for a grant to run projects around SRE issues.

Successful applicants are required to manage all aspects of the project including planning, delivery and evaluation, and they are offered training from their peers on the regional boards to help them deliver their project.

You can find some examples of the projects we've funded in the regional pages in the left hand nav.