Impact Report 2023

Free to Be Kids provides immersive outdoor residential and mentoring programmes for London's most disadvantaged children. In 2023, 213 children were supported across 327 residential project places; 94% reported improved self-esteem; 91% developed new social skills; 100% tried something they had not thought possible. 230 volunteers gave 16,000+ hours, equivalent to £218,397 at the London Living Wage. 13 Journey Project cohorts supported 37 young people aged 12-16.

Report snapshot
1 Views

📋About

Thrive Outside residential gateway projects (5-day immersive); Journey Projects (18 months, 6 residentials); Saturday Club (9-month group programme); Thrive Mentoring (1:1, 12-18 months); Young Leaders' Programme (volunteer development for teens with lived experience)

📊Key Metrics

213 children and young people supported; 327 residential project places provided entirely free of charge Key Metric 1
230 volunteers gave 16,000+ hours — equivalent to £218,397 at the London Living Wage Key Metric 2
94% of children reported improved self-esteem; 100% tried something they had not thought possible Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • 91% of children developed new social skills including making friends and managing frustration; 94% showed improvement in social confidence as reported by project workers
  • 92% of Journey Project participants felt more confident and resilient at programme end, with changes sustained at least 6 months post-programme; 100% of parents and referrers confirmed risk reduced in at least 2 key areas
  • 87% of Journey Project participants demonstrated sustained improvement in emotional health; 67% improved educational engagement; 96% recognised improvements in managing adversity and building relationships

📍Geography

London

2024

Annual Report 2023/24

18,000+ children, young people and families reached through local services in 2023-24; total income £9,771,193
Key Metric 1
SEND mediation and disagreement resolution referrals increased 18% year-on-year; 53 runners raised £86,000+ at London Marathon
Key Metric 2
Young People's Hub (hub.kids.org.uk) received almost 10,000 visits in its first year; nearly 1,000 families supported through holistic crisis intervention in Yorkshire
Key Metric 3
93% of families happy with the service; 96% found service friendly and caring; 94% of families would recommend Kids
2024

Annual Report January–December 2024

Approximately 6,000 families supported across 7 countries to stay together; 10,000+ children and young people impacted through family strengthening work
Key Metric 1
4,058 children and young people in 107 countries supported with quality alternative care through 5,295 sponsors; 170+ children reintegrated into communities in Zambia and The Gambia
Key Metric 2
4,000+ young people supported with employability training and mentoring in 14 countries; £330,000 contributed to humanitarian programmes in Gaza, Ukraine, South Sudan and Haiti
Key Metric 3
319 children supported through Kinship Care Programme across 9 locations in India; 867+ families in Zambia supported to become more self-reliant through financial literacy and entrepreneurship training
2025

Impact Report 2024/25

551,400 children, young people and families supported across 342 UK services in 2024-25
Key Metric 1
£17.9m raised through fundraising; 84p in every £1 spent directly on children and families
Key Metric 2
50,869 children and young people supported with mental health and wellbeing; 10,740 disabled children and young people supported
Key Metric 3
88% of parents improved parenting skills and confidence; 89% of families managing better financially with support