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WAY UK Impact Report 2025

WAY's report reviews youth-led projects in Swindon during 2025, including hospital-based support, sport, creative work, mentoring and youth-led research. It describes support for children and young people facing disadvantage.

Report snapshot
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About

WAY is a young person-led charity in Swindon helping children and young people overcome barriers and build confidence.

Key Metrics

Young people reached 670 children and young people were reached in 2025 across core projects, digital support and youth-led research.

Key Outcomes

  • 295 young people were supported through WAY's five core projects.

Geography

South West

Impact Snapshot
568,000
babies reached by Bookstart Baby in 2025/26 (93% of all babies born)
Over 1.1 million
children and families engaged with Bookstart programmes in 2025/26
80%
of parents and carers receiving Bookstart Baby say they now read or share books and stories more with their child
445,600 children aged 1-4 reached through Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler, including 37% of all 1-4-year-olds living in low-income households
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
440,000+ young people aged 4-18 active members across 7,000 Groups
Key Metric 2
140,000 volunteers supporting the movement across the UK
Key Metric 3
373 Sections opened or re-energised in England between April 2024 and March 2025
0.3% overall growth in young people (ages 4-18), driven by 31% increase in Squirrel Scouts (5,200 young people)
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
55,000 foster carers and 370 fostering service providers as members across the UK
Key Metric 2
45 new Fostering Friendly Employers recruited, bringing the scheme to over 680,000 employees across the UK
Key Metric 3
95 Fostering Wellbeing Pioneers in Wales offering peer support and mentoring to fellow foster carers
191 children and young people engaged in outdoor adventure weeks through the Fostering Attainment and Achievement programme in Northern Ireland
Impact Snapshot
Young people mentored
Provided more 1:1 mentoring sessions than ever before, an 18% increase on last year, supporting over 1,000 young people, with students rating mentoring 9...
39% of students reported an increase in how they felt over the past month, 38% rated their social interactions more positive after mentoring, and 30% felt more comfortable in lessons.