Our best resources on how to use events to engage young people in arts, social action, physical activity and more.
Young People & Events
What sort of benefits can young people gain from taking part in events, through schools and through community projects? How can events provide a pathway to long term participation in sports, culture and volunteering? How can we reach groups of young people with additional barriers to participation?
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sought to ‘inspire a generation’, and at Spirit of 2012 we’ve focused a significant portion of endowment on taking that ambition forwards. 51% of the regular participants and volunteers on Spirit of 2012 programmes were aged 25 and under. We established a youth panel with a delegated budget to input into key decisions.
Filter the knowledge bank for ‘young people’ to see the full collection. Or dive straight in with these featured picks:
1Discover how youth volunteering at major events benefits young people, communities, and the events themselves
Our thematic report on youth volunteering and social action in events covers formal event volunteering programmes, as well as advice for youth organisations who want to design their own programmes inspired by events. It sets out why youth volunteering matters: bringing fresh perspectives to events, building young people’s skills and confidence, and strengthening long-term civic participation. Aimed at organisers, funders and youth organisations, it offers evidence and insights to help design impactful, youth-inclusive volunteering opportunities.
2Download Team GB and ParalympicsGB blueprint for event education programmes
One of the biggest success stories of the London 2012 Games was Get Set – Team GB and ParalympicsGB‘s award-winning education programme, which has been sparking imaginations in thousands of young people across the country ever since. This resource draws together lessons from delivering Get Set, as well other event education programmes, to develop step by step guidance, including engaging with multiple partners.
3Investigate how to engage young people in decision making:
Our Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) page gives you an overview of how and why we decided early on to ensure youth voice was baked into our decision-making. You can find out the benefits to both Spirit of 2012 and the members themselves, as well as lessons learned from three different cohorts of the YAP.
Watch: our interview with former YAP Chair Carl Konadu and former YAP member Sophie Humphries.
4Find out what young people think about events
Comprehensive polling from our July 2025 report, Moments that Make Us Proud gives an insight into what types of events matter most to different subsections of the population. You can find out what 18 – 24-year-olds have to say about events by accessing the full data tables or find highlights in the main report. 67% of 18-24 year olds support public money being spent to help fund a major music or cultural festival with national reach, in comparison only 36% of 65+ year olds.
5Explore how different events engaged young people through our funded projects section
From The Mighty Creatives’ Emerge Festivals (400th anniversary of Shakespeare) to Youth Sport Trust and Sporting Equals’ Breaking Boundaries (Cricket World Cup); Jack Drum’s intergenerational arts project Year of the King (Coronation) and Liverpool City Council creating the first ever Eurovision education programme, there’s plenty here to inspire, as well as honest reflections about the challenges.
More Starter Packs
Creating Long-term Impact For Events
Creating Long-term Impact For Events
Designing Inclusive Events
Designing Inclusive Events
Improving Event Evaluation
Improving Event Evaluation
Embedding and evaluating wellbeing in your projects
Embedding and evaluating wellbeing in your projects
Building social cohesion through events
Building social cohesion through events
Increasing physical activity using events
