Uniformed youth groups: Promoting Skills and Resilience in Young People

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Excerpts

Monday 26th January 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of uniformed youth groups on promoting skills and resilience in young people.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

We recognise the excellent contribution and impact of uniformed youth organisations. The Government have directly funded their work since 2022. There is a range of existing research that shows the positive impact of uniformed youth organisations on young people and their lives. Ipsos independently evaluated the DCMS-funded uniformed youth fund from 2022 to 2025. The evaluation found evidence supporting the positive impact of uniformed youth organisation membership on young people’s well-being, social and emotional development, skills and community connectedness.

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend the Minister for that fabulous reply. I could not agree with her more. We know that uniformed youth groups will play a vital role in delivering the Government’s new youth strategy. Groups such as the Scouts, the Girl Guides, all our cadets, the Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade and of course the Girls Brigade and Boys’ Brigade do an amazing job. Will the Minister encourage her department to look again at the funding arrangements so that these groups can retain staff during the transition from the uniformed youth fund, which is coming to an end in March, to the new funding arrangements that will come into place with the new youth strategy? It is great to put the contribution of these groups on the record here today.

Charitable and Voluntary Sector

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin Excerpts

Thursday 30th April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (CB)]

My Lords, I declare my interests as chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, the research and care charity, and as chair of the National Cancer Research Institute. In these uncertain times, medical research charities have been deeply committed to the national effort against Covid-19 as funders and patient support organisations. Action has been taken across the sector to deliver additional support services and, of course, to second clinical researchers to the front line of the NHS. The contribution of medical research charities is at risk now and for the future if charities do not have the vital funding at this time of heightened demand.

The impact of Covid-19 has been far greater than many charities could have foreseen and the consequences are far-reaching, as we know. Many medical research charities are reliant on fundraising, which is extremely challenging now. Many have had to protect their income and reserves by furloughing a significant proportion of staff, including research staff. Yet, worryingly, medical research charities really do look unlikely to be able to benefit from the support packages announced by the Chancellor recently. In 2019, these charities collectively invested, as we heard, £1.9 billion in the UK R&D set-up. Uncertainty around fundraising in a challenging economic climate poses a real threat to sustainable funding in medical research, since charitable investment is, as we know, critical to the success of the UK’s life sciences sector.

Will the Minister consider new ways that the Government can work in partnership with medical research charities to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the research sector? Solutions will need to be tailored and focused on ensuring continuity of charity-funded research now, but also for the future—for cancer research, heart disease, long-term conditions and mental health. We need to kick-start the UK’s research ecosystem when we get through this. This will be of huge benefit to the economy. Of course, it is all about saving lives too.