Education & Young People
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The Way Youth Zone

The Way Youth Zone Impact Report 2025/26

The Way Youth Zone's 2025/26 impact report - themed 'Because of The Way...' - showcases a year of life-changing youth work in Wolverhampton: 3,414 young people accessed The Way, creating more than 41,000 moments of connection through activities, youth work support and opportunities designed to help young people thrive.

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About

The Way Youth Zone is a Wolverhampton charity offering young people a safe place to belong, grow and thrive, with over 150 activities a week across sport, arts and wellbeing, targeted mentoring and specialist support, free meals, and community outreach across the city.

Key Metrics

Young people reached 3,414 young people accessed The Way during the year - around one in 19 young people across Wolverhampton - including 1,884 new young people joining the community.
Sessions and activities 618 sessions were delivered to bring young people together, with over 150 activities available each week across sport, arts and wellbeing.
Hours of youth work 3,497 hours of youth work support were provided, creating more than 41,000 moments of connection.
Free meals provided 28,000 free meals were provided to young people during the year.
Targeted support delivered 262 young people received mentoring or specialist support, and 493 safeguarding concerns were successfully managed by the team.
Wellbeing improvements Young people reported feeling less anxious (84%), more resilient (79%) and better able to manage their feelings (92%) as a result of their involvement with The Way.
Outreach conversations The outreach team held 1,816 conversations with young people across Wolverhampton's communities; 72% of young people engaged through outreach later attended activities at The Way.

Key Outcomes

  • Young people built confidence, made new friends and developed leadership skills through trusted relationships and professional youth work.
  • New initiatives including Inbetweeners and Chill n Chat helped more young people feel comfortable, included and supported.
  • Employability pathways are being developed through TheWay2Work so every young person can reach their full potential.

Geography

West Midlands

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