Young people should lead change today, not simply prepare for it tomorrow. That core belief has driven Unloc since day one, but in the 2025/2026 academic year, it became our defining rallying cry. Over the past twelve months, we have seen young people across the UK step up with unprecedented confidence; launching social enterprises, shaping civic policy, and driving meaningful progress in their local communities.

This year reflects a pivotal moment in our movement. It is no longer enough to talk about what young people might achieve in the future; our mission is equipping them with the tools, networks, and backing to execute their ideas right now. Across our four key pillars (Entrepreneurship, Careers & Employability, Youth Voice, and Youth Leadership) we have watched students transform from passive learners into active architects of social change.

The scale of what our community has accomplished this year is remarkable. In 2025/2026, Unloc engaged over 23,000 young people across more than 250 schools and colleges nationwide. Through our Changemaker Grants, we reached a major milestone, officially surpassing £100,000 in seed micro-grants awarded directly to young leaders. These funds didn’t sit in bank accounts – they directly financed youth-led community projects and early-stage enterprises. When you trust young people with real resources and genuine autonomy, they deliver extraordinary results.

Our Changemaker Studios hubs in Portsmouth and Westminster continue to serve as vibrant launchpads for innovation, while our new team in Leeds have hit the ground running bringing Unloc programmes to thousands of young people across Leeds City Region. At the same time, our digital platform, Unloc+, has allowed us to extend these opportunities to young people everywhere, regardless of geography, hosted on our new website designed by young people, for young people.

None of this growth happens in isolation. Our collaborative work with industry through our Changemaker Alliance sees partners like Verizon, Burberry, and Capita help bridge the divide between education and employment. Programmes like our Spark Tank project and the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge prove that corporate partnerships can create genuine, life-changing mobility for underrepresented talent.

At the heart of all this progress is our commitment to authentic youth leadership. The Unloc Youth Board and our national network of Youth Ambassadors don’t merely consult on our work – they actively steer our strategy. From advising NHS trusts on youth healthcare services to shaping political education frameworks, our young leaders remind us every day that youth voice is an essential ingredient in a healthy society, not a decorative add-on.

Unloc’s Advisory Board brings together senior leaders from business, health, local government, national government, schools, colleges, universities, and the voluntary sector. Meeting regularly to review strategic direction, risk, and growth, our advisory board members act as critical friends, mentors, and advocates for our mission.

Our staff team is the engine of our movement. From our facilitators working directly with young people everyday to our operations, partnership, and community engagement specialists, our team brings relentless energy and deep sector expertise to every interaction.

As we look beyond 2026, our mandate is clear. Millions of young people across the country still lack access to the mentors, funding, and opportunities needed to unlock their potential. We remain determined to bridge that gap.

To our dedicated educators, corporate partners, team members, and, most importantly, the thousands of young changemakers who inspire us every day: thank you. Together, we are proving that when you empower young people to lead, everyone wins.

Hayden Taylor & Ben Dowling

Co-Founders, Unloc