Statement in response to Gareth Southgate’s documentary

“What has struck me most is not the scale of the challenge, but the scale of the opportunity.”

These are the words of Gareth Southgate (former England Footballer and Manager), reflecting on what he has learned about boys and young men while making his BBC One documentary Changing the Game for Young Men.

Southgate highlights the stark realities facing young people today – particularly young men – covering the importance of positive role models and a sense of purpose and belonging.

At YMCA South Midlands, we see this playout daily.

And yet, at a time when they need support the most, many of the services and spaces that provide it are disappearing, such as funding for youth services, which has declined by 83% in our area alone since 2010.

And last month, the Milburn Review highlighted that one million young people aged 16–24 are not in education, employment or training nationally. We see not a lack of motivation, but untapped potential. Work offers more than an income; it provides structure, stability and purpose.

Meanwhile, the landscape young people are navigating has fundamentally changed. The explosion of online voices and influences means that identity, aspiration and belonging are increasingly shaped in digital spaces. While these platforms can offer connection, they can also amplify confusion, comparison and negative influence.

At YMCA South Midlands, we know that positive role models and a sense of purpose and belonging are central to changing the trajectory of a young person’s life – offering stability, guidance, structure and boundaries. Young people have a huge amount of potential, but potential needs the right environment to thrive.

Through a place to call home, trusted relationships and real opportunities, we help young people across South Midlands build confidence, find a sense of purpose and belonging, and take steps towards education, employment and a positive future. We provide the belonging they are seeking, the role models they need, and the encouragement that helps them believe in themselves.

Because the real question, as Southgate puts it, is not “whether this generation has what it takes. The question is whether we, as adults, will provide the guidance, support and encouragement they need to flourish.”

Dean Pirks, YMCA South Midlands Personal Development Coach (Supervisor), said: “I was really inspired watching the Documentary by Gareth Southgate, the role of positive male role models in the home, education and society needs to be valued. Men and boys’ mental health is not a problem to be solved but a problem to be supported.”

At YMCA South Midlands, we are – and we will continue to be – part of that answer. It’s whether society, as a whole, is prepared to step up and help provide what they need.

If you’re a company in Milton Keynes or Northamptonshire, you could support young people at YMCA South Midlands to find structure, stability and meaningful purpose in a job. To open your doors to making a lasting difference for young people, email elliot.moore@ymcasouthmidlands.com.