Find your next opportunity.
Finding opportunities to learn, grow, connect and take your next step should not be unnecessarily complicated. Pathfinder brings together information about opportunities and organisations in one place, helping you explore what might be relevant to you. Discover possibilities, follow your interests and connect directly with the organisations providing them.
Explore opportunities. Discover possibilities.
Four Routes.
Your own journey.
There's no single path to discovering opportunities, building connections or finding support. Pathfinder brings together organisations across four Routes, each offering a different starting point. Explore one, or move between them as your journey evolves.
Connection
Find communities, networks and movements where you can build relationships, share experiences and make your voice heard.
Discovery
Explore platforms and opportunity hubs that help you uncover experiences, programmes and new possibilities.
Development
Discover programmes, learning and experiences that strengthen your skills, confidence and personal growth.
Support
Find organisations, services and guidance that can help you navigate challenges, access support and take your next steps.
Find something that fits you.
Discover organisations, networks and platforms that can help you explore opportunities, build connections, develop skills or access support. Search for an organisation by name or browse through our four Pathfinder Routes.
Before you explore
We take care when selecting organisations for Pathfinder and work to keep our links and listings appropriate and up to date. However, YOUTHOOD does not independently review, verify or endorse the information, advice, services or opportunities provided by organisations featured here. Organisations operate independently of YOUTHOOD and are responsible for their own information, services and safeguarding arrangements. Please check current details, eligibility and availability directly with the relevant organisation, and follow its published guidance and requirements when accessing its services.
Search by organisation name, or browse by Route. Pathfinder lists organisations and platforms, not individual live vacancies.
A starting point, not a complete directory. Pathfinder features selected organisations and platforms that may help you discover opportunities and support. It is not a comprehensive register of youth services, and inclusion does not indicate a formal YOUTHOOD partnership or endorsement.
Opportunity shouldn't depend on your postcode.
Some of the most meaningful opportunities, experiences and support can be found close to home. From youth clubs and community organisations to local programmes and services, your community might have more to offer than you realise. Here are a few starting points to help you explore.
Start with your local council.
Your local council may provide information about youth services, community activities, support programmes and local opportunities. Use GOV.UK to find your council's website, then explore its youth and community services.
FIND YOUR LOCAL COUNCILDiscover an OnSide Youth Zone.
OnSide Youth Zones are dedicated spaces where young people can access activities, facilities, youth workers and opportunities to develop new interests and friendships. Explore the network to see whether there is a Youth Zone near you.
EXPLORE YOUTH ZONESDon't overlook what's happening in your community.
Not every opportunity comes from a national organisation or a large youth centre. Across the country, independent youth clubs, community centres, local charities, grassroots projects and neighbourhood groups play an essential role in creating places where young people can belong, participate, learn and find support.
Many of these organisations may not appear on national opportunities platforms. We encourage you to explore what's available locally, whether through your council, school, college, community networks or organisations working in your area.
Your next connection, opportunity or source of support might be closer than you think.
The links and suggestions above are provided for general signposting purposes. YOUTHOOD does not identify, independently review, verify, approve or monitor local youth clubs, centres, charities or services accessible through these external websites or through your own local searches. We cannot guarantee their availability, accessibility, safeguarding arrangements or suitability for your circumstances. Please check details directly with the relevant provider and, where appropriate, speak with a trusted adult or professional before attending or accessing a service.
What if finding opportunities was this simple, everywhere?
Pathfinder brings together organisations, opportunities and support in one accessible starting point. But we believe discovering opportunities should not depend on whether a young person happens to find the right charity, platform or website.
We want to see national government, local authorities and their partners work together to build more consistent, accessible and locally relevant ways for young people to discover what is available to them.
Pathfinder is a practical illustration, not a finished public-service model. Our ambition is for government and local partnerships to take this principle further, with the resources, local knowledge and accountability needed to make it work for more young people.
What we've built. What we're advocating for.
Pathfinder shows how bringing information together can make opportunity discovery more straightforward. But a coordinated public approach could offer much more than a small organisational directory.
One accessible starting point.
A curated collection of organisations, networks, platforms and support services organised across four Routes.
- Four simple Routes to explore
- Searchable organisation listings
- Links to external providers
- Direct-access routes without institutional referral
- A practical example informing policy
A more connected way to discover.
Nationally coordinated and locally informed opportunities infrastructure, with shared standards and responsibility across the youth-facing landscape.
- National and regional opportunity discovery
- More relevant local information
- Accessible, interest-led navigation
- Clear direct, referral and supported-access pathways
- Visible eligibility, costs and accessibility information
- Shared maintenance and public accountability
Six features that could make a difference.
Our proposal is not simply for a larger version of Pathfinder. Publicly coordinated opportunities infrastructure could better reflect the different interests, circumstances and communities of young people.
Explore by interest
Help young people discover opportunities linked to their interests, from sport, arts and volunteering to careers, leadership and enrichment.
Find what's happening locally
Connect national opportunities with regionally and locally relevant provision, including independent and grassroots organisations.
Understand accessibility
Explain eligibility, disability access, transport and participation requirements, including whether young people can apply directly or need a referral or nomination.
Keep information connected and current
Establish shared approaches for providers and partnerships to contribute and maintain accurate information, reducing unnecessary duplication.
Put young people at the centre
Involve young people in design, accessibility testing, governance and evaluation so that the system responds to their experiences.
Know what participation costs
Show fees alongside likely indirect costs, such as travel, equipment, clothing and digital access, and highlight free, subsidised and supported options.
Equity in Access to Opportunities.
Finding an opportunity is only one part of being able to access it. Cost, transport, geography, eligibility, discrimination and wider personal circumstances can all influence whether a young person can meaningfully participate.
Through YOUTHOOD's Policy Agenda, we're advocating for a more equitable, joined-up approach to opportunity access, including stronger public coordination of how opportunities are mapped, shared and made accessible.
Local opportunity systems should clearly distinguish opportunities young people can access themselves from those requiring a referral, professional assessment or nomination. Where a referral is necessary, young people should be able to understand who can refer them, how to request support and what alternatives are available. Pathfinder itself prioritises direct-access listings; a properly resourced public system should be able to explain and navigate both routes.
We also believe a dedicated opportunity access fund should be established to reduce direct and indirect financial barriers to participation. This could help with fees, travel, equipment, clothing and other reasonable costs that prevent young people from taking part. The proposed fund would require clear eligibility, fair allocation and accountable administration; it is not an existing Pathfinder fund or a promise of support.
Alongside financial assistance, local authorities and their partners should review the balance of free, subsidised and paid provision across interests, ages and neighbourhoods. The goal is not a single numerical quota, but genuine choice that does not depend primarily on a young person's financial means.
EXPLORE OUR POLICY AGENDAWhat could national and local coordination look like?
National leadership: Government could establish common standards for information quality, accessibility, interoperability, data protection and the visibility of nationally relevant opportunities.
Regional and local partnerships: Local authorities, youth organisations, schools, colleges, employers and community partners could help coordinate information reflecting the opportunities and services available within their communities.
Transparent routes into participation: Listings should distinguish direct-access, referral-based and supported-access opportunities. Where referral is required, young people should be told who can refer, why the route exists, how to request a referral and which alternatives they can approach directly. Sensitive referral information should not be made public.
Balancing affordable opportunities: Local partnerships should review the spread of free, subsidised and paid provision across neighbourhoods, age groups, activity types and access requirements, identifying where cost restricts genuine choice. This is a matter of equitable provision, not merely publishing the price of each opportunity.
Reducing direct and indirect costs: A proposed Opportunity Access Fund, alongside travel support, equipment lending, fee subsidies and digital inclusion measures, could reduce the cost of taking part. Support would need transparent criteria, fair administration and accountable delivery.
Youth participation and accountability: Young people should have meaningful roles in shaping, reviewing and improving these systems, with clear responsibilities for how information is maintained and concerns are addressed.
These are proposed directions for policy development, not an existing statutory duty, agreed government programme or completed technical specification. Pathfinder's direct-access approach is a practical starting point; a wider public system should also make appropriate referral and supported-access routes understandable and navigable.
Good information gets better together.
Pathfinder brings together organisations, platforms and support that we believe young people should know about. But the youth-facing landscape is always changing, and useful information needs to change with it. Whether you've discovered a brilliant organisation, spotted something that needs correcting or have an idea to improve Pathfinder, we'd welcome hearing from you.
Know an organisation we're missing?
Found a network, platform, programme or service that could help young people connect, discover, develop or access support? Let us know so we can consider it for Pathfinder.
SUGGEST AN ORGANISATIONSpotted something that needs correcting?
If a link is broken, a description appears inaccurate or an organisation is no longer operating as described, please tell us. Reports help us maintain a more useful directory.
REPORT AN ISSUEHave an idea to improve Pathfinder?
Perhaps something could be clearer, easier to navigate or more accessible. We welcome suggestions that help improve the existing Pathfinder experience and its usefulness for young people.
SUGGEST AN IMPROVEMENTHow we consider suggestions. We review submissions against Pathfinder's purpose, our four Routes and our capacity to maintain the directory. We cannot guarantee that every organisation or proposed change will be included. If the buttons do not open your email application, contact us directly at contact@youthood.uk .
A few things worth knowing.
A little more about how Pathfinder works, what you can expect from the directory and what to keep in mind when exploring external organisations.
01 What exactly is Pathfinder?
Pathfinder is a free signposting resource created by YOUTHOOD. It brings together selected organisations, networks, opportunity platforms and support services across four Routes: Connection, Discovery, Development and Support.
It is designed to help you identify useful starting points, not to operate as a live vacancies board or a comprehensive directory of every youth service in the UK.
02 How are organisations selected?
YOUTHOOD considers organisations that offer relevant opportunities, networks, programmes, information or support for young people.
Our aim is to represent a broad youth-facing landscape, including organisations supporting different identities, lived experiences, interests and circumstances.
Inclusion is an editorial decision and does not mean that an organisation has been independently accredited, audited or formally endorsed by YOUTHOOD.
03 Does YOUTHOOD run these organisations?
No. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, organisations featured in Pathfinder operate independently of YOUTHOOD.
We do not manage their programmes, services, applications, recruitment arrangements or safeguarding procedures. Being featured does not imply a formal partnership with YOUTHOOD.
04 How reliable is the information?
We take care when preparing listings and seek to address information that may be inaccurate or outdated. However, we do not independently verify or monitor all information, advice, services or opportunities published by external organisations.
Eligibility, cost, availability, accessibility and participation requirements may change. Please refer to the provider's own website, follow its published guidance and contact it directly if anything is unclear.
05 What if I can't find something near me?
Pathfinder includes organisations operating at different geographical scales. Some are UK-wide, while others serve particular communities or local areas.
We encourage you to explore independent youth clubs, community centres, charities and other local services. You can also find your local council or explore the OnSide Youth Zone network .
YOUTHOOD does not independently review or monitor local services identified through these external sources.
06 Is Pathfinder a support or emergency service?
No. Pathfinder is an information and signposting resource. YOUTHOOD does not provide emergency assistance, crisis intervention or individual casework through Pathfinder.
If you need immediate emergency assistance in the UK, call 999. If you are seeking non-emergency support, explore the relevant organisations in the Support Route and check their current guidance.
07 Why is YOUTHOOD continuing Pathfinder?
Pathfinder remains a useful public starting point while also illustrating the value of bringing opportunity information together.
Through our Equity in Access to Opportunities policy priority, YOUTHOOD advocates for stronger national coordination and locally relevant opportunities information.
We believe this infrastructure should be developed with young people, government and local partnerships, rather than depending on individual organisations maintaining separate solutions.
Pathfinder is here to help you discover what's possible. And while we want finding opportunities to become simpler, more accessible and more equitable, your journey will always be your own.