Education & Young People Health & Wellbeing 2023
Free to Be Kids

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.

View Report
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

Related reports

All Education & Young People reports →
2024
Kids

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
Education & Young People Uk-Wide
View
2024
SOS Children's Villages UK

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
Education & Young People Children
View
2025
Action for Children

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
Education & Young People Mental Health
View