More Than a Youth Club: Young People Leading the Way
At MYEC we are more than a place to drop in — we are a community where young people shape the programmes they take part in. We work alongside those facing the biggest barriers, including newcomers to the UK, care‑experienced children, young carers and disabled young people, and we design every activity together with them.
Our mentoring, creative arts, sports and leadership programmes are co‑led by young people and supported by trained staff. They build skills, confidence and friendships, but they also create a platform for young voices to influence schools, councils and community services. Participants sit on our youth advisory panel, help train new mentors and co‑produce sessions so that activities stay relevant and inclusive.
We measure what changes using tools like the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and share our learning openly. Insights from our programmes feed into local policies on exclusions, youth mental health and community safety. In this way we aim not just to support individual progress but to challenge the systems that affect young people across Greater Manchester.
