Helping young people build stronger futures
Work. Wellbeing. Home. UYN helps young people build the foundations they need to thrive. Talent is everywhere — opportunity, support and access are not.
Reading, Berkshire
Upsurge Youth Network
Unemployment, career uncertainty, money worries, insecure housing, low wellbeing — too many young people face them all at once, with no one to turn to. We want to change that.
Small groups of young people across Reading and Berkshire.
To accelerate the growth of young people
We connect young people with the opportunities, skills, relationships and support to get into work, grow their careers, look after their wellbeing and build secure lives — reaching them early, before challenges become crises.
Careers, mentoring, wellbeing and homelessness prevention — brought together in one connected network. Our goal is simple: help young people get into work, stay in work and build stable, fulfilling lives.
Where we are today. UYN is a new, standalone organisation, set up as a company limited by guarantee for charitable purposes. We are starting small so we can listen, learn and prove what works — and we won’t claim results we haven’t achieved.
Work, wellbeing and a secure home — one network built around all three.
From job seekers and graduates to young people facing barriers and young entrepreneurs.
From youth first to impact — what guides how we work.
Work. Wellbeing. Home.
Three foundations.
One network.
Opportunity and support for every young person
A society where every young person can access meaningful work, positive wellbeing and a secure home, whatever their starting point — and a growing network of young people, employers, mentors and partners making it happen across the UK and beyond.
Our three foundations
Work. A job can change someone’s circumstances. A career can change their future.
Through Upsurge JobHub: mentoring, CV and interview support, digital and AI skills, and connections to employers — so young people get into work, stay in work and grow at work.
Home. Early help with housing — not an emergency hostel.
Growth happens through people — and young people are at the centre of ours.
Our community. Alongside them: mentors and volunteers, employers, community partners, specialist services, and the supporters and funders who make our work possible.
What guides how we work
Seven values shape every programme, partnership and decision at UYN.