ONE IN TWO YOUNG PEOPLE GIVE UP ON AMBITIONS DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT: McDONALD’S PARTNERS WITH BBC CHILDREN IN NEED TO PUT 500 YOUTH WORKERS BACK INTO COMMUNITIES & UNLOCK POTENTIAL

ONE IN TWO YOUNG PEOPLE GIVE UP ON AMBITIONS DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT: McDONALD’S PARTNERS WITH BBC CHILDREN IN NEED TO PUT 500 YOUTH WORKERS BACK INTO COMMUNITIES & UNLOCK POTENTIAL

• 44% of young people today don’t feel properly supported in their communities with closures of 900+ youth centres and loss of 4,500 youth workers compounding challenges 
• McDonald’s rolls out Makin’ it initiative nationwide to better support young people and unlock genuine opportunity  
• Following 18-month pilot, McDonald’s set to fund 500 new youth work qualifications and create safe spaces for young people in restaurants by connecting all 1,450 restaurants with youth services 
• Since the start of their partnership with BBC Children in Need, McDonald’s has supported more than 185 youth projects employing more than 320 youth workers and improving outcomes for over 42,500 young people 

London, Wednesday 24^th April – New research of 2,000 young people aged 16 to 24 has highlighted the impact of growing challenges and uncertainty young people are facing when it comes to the future, with some stark issues raised when it comes to support, career opportunities and safe places to go. 

Almost 1 in 2 (44%) don’t feel there are enough projects in their area aimed at providing support and opportunities for them. In addition, young people feel there is a lack of opportunity and barriers to success. As a result, over half (51%) changing their expectations for the future and almost a third (27%) admit they’ve become less ambitious altogether.  

Almost two-thirds (64%) also stated they worry often about the future, yet only 11% said they had a youth worker or counsellor to turn to for support.

This is exacerbated when it comes to dream careers with many young people feeling society’s negative view of them is a key barrier to their success. Depressingly, only 24% of young people feel they are viewed positively by society.  

Over the last 18 months, the country’s biggest private sector youth employer, McDonald’s, has expanded its partnership with BBC Children in Need, bringing on board Kick it Out and Youth Music to build Makin’ it, a programme  that provides young people with genuine opportunity in the areas they live in. The pilots have provided access to welcoming and safe spaces for 16-24 year olds in restaurants, and vital positive relationships through connections with youth workers and youth projects specifically matched to local restaurants and franchisees.   

Musician AJ Tracey, who got his start in a youth project, is one of the ambassadors for the initiative. AJ voices a hard-hitting spoken word film to launch Makin’ it, calling out the hardships many young people face and the pivotal role youth workers can play in their lives, through offering invaluable advice, guidance, and mentorship, as well as connecting them with opportunities in their local area. 

Makin’ it has already made a meaningful impact to young people’s lives, with an 18-month pilot phase opening doors for young people in restaurants in towns across UK & Ireland. More than 70 restaurants were paired with local youth projects and youth workers, giving young people in these communities a safe place to seek support. These restaurants are now facilitating regular drop-in sessions, workshops, training and informal meetings for youth workers and young people. 

BBC Children in Need project workers, David, Rianne and Stacey, who are featured in the film, are three of many youth workers and youth projects across the country who are now using McDonald’s restaurants as a base to connect with young people in their communities.

The expansion of the initiative will see all 1,450 McDonald’s restaurants connected to youth services and the funding of 500 new youth work qualifications, in order to help unlock the potential of young people in every community. McDonald’s will also be diverting an unspent part of its Apprenticeship Levy to support more youth workers to undertake their youth work apprenticeship in England. 

McDonald’s has committed to providing resource and funding to enable all young people to get access to genuine opportunities where they live, including music partnerships and sports programmes to be launched this Summer.

McDonald’s UK & Ireland Vice President Impact Andrew Moys explained why the company has been investing in this groundbreaking initiative:  

“It’s no secret that young people today are facing some incredibly challenging times, particularly when it comes to accessing trusted adult support and opportunities. Over the last 18 months we’ve seen first-hand the difference that can be made through connecting our restaurants directly with youth services and youth workers. Young people, who often have nowhere to go and no one to speak to can now access the support they need, in an environment they feel comfortable in. The scale of our restaurant estate and dedication of our 200 franchisees in communities across the UK and Ireland, mean we have the ability to make a real impact on the lives of young people. ‘Makin It’ is about frontline change – it is  youth work embedded into that specific local area,  it is access to warm, welcoming spaces that young people know and ultimately it provides tangible, local opportunities that will help young people to make it. ”

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive at BBC Children in Need adds:  

“The power and impact a positive relationship can have on a young person’s life, cannot be underestimated. Our research into youth work shows its profound and long-lasting impact to children and young people, when it comes to accessing support and opportunities. As this recent survey has shown, too many young people are feeling apprehensive about their future, and sadly, unsupported and that’s why our partnership with McDonald’s on this programme is so vital, so that young people can meet a youth worker at a familiar place within their community, where they feel both safe and welcome and can ultimately work together to reach their goals and Make It.

“As the biggest private employer of young people in the UK, McDonald’s is uniquely placed to support the youth work sector in a way no other UK business can. After the first year of working together, we started to see a pattern. When McDonald’s local franchisees worked with the local community youth services we fund, youth workers and young people, real change is achieved and making a significant impact young people in urgent need of support or feeling apprehensive about the future.”

To find out more about Makin’ it visit: https://mc-ds.uk/makinit

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For more information, youth worker case studies, talent interviews and further research please contact mcdonaldscommunitiesteam@redconsultancy.com

* ‘This online survey of 2000 16 to 24 year olds (400 16-17, 1600 18-24) was commissioned by Teneo on behalf of McDonald’s and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 05/04/2024 and 15/04/2024. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.’ 

** Youth Centre closures and Job Loss data from the YMCA’s D£valued: A decade of cuts to youth services, February 2022.  

About McDonald’s Makin’ it 

McDonald’s employs more young people than any other business and by 2030 they aim to bring another million people into jobs, skills and training. To ensure there is equal opportunities amongst young people in the UK McDonald’s Makin it  campaign is: 

· Working with BBC Children in Need and the Irish Youth Foundation to partner with youth projects on a town-by-town basis and open our restaurant doors to give youth workers a place to meet, share advice and transform young lives  

· Working with BBC Children in Need to help rebuild youth services, supporting up to 500 youth workers to become qualified to support children and young people within our communities  

· Diverting a percentage of McDonald’s unspent Apprenticeship Levy is being used to support even more youth workers to undertake their youth work apprenticeship in England  

· In addition to the above, McDonald’s is partnering with specialist music and football charities to create grassroots programmes which will open up meaningful opportunities and real-world training for young people