A youth-led space to be heard
GLFF — our food bank and warm space — has welcomed many young people. And they keep telling us the same thing: they don't have a voice, a connection, or a sense of community.
The YES Forum is our answer — a safe zone that empowers young people to explore their voice, break down the barriers to taking part, challenge society's bias, and discover how to contribute in their own community.
Join the steering group
Four promises at its heart
Every session is built to give young people something they're being denied right now.
A safe zone
A neutral, welcoming space to simply be — and to belong.
Your voice
The room, and the confidence, to explore what you think and say it out loud.
Break barriers
Challenge the bias, barriers and assumptions that hold young people back.
Shape your community
Discover how to contribute and make real change where you live.
A huge space — shaped by you
We've embedded the forum right in the community, with pilot sessions upstairs above our charity shop and food bank. It's a big, open space — perfect for a youth forum.
Computer games
Make music
Free internet
Homework space
Advice & support
Youth noticeboard
Steering groups
Meet & connect
Twice a week, every week
Sessions run twice weekly for two hours — and we deliver exactly what the young people in our steering group have explored and asked for.
Mondays
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Fridays
6:00 – 8:00 pm
A 12-month pilot, told by young people
The pilot captures what young people really want — and tells that story through a short film that documents the journey and evaluates the project. Together, young people build trusting relationships, lasting skills, resilient networks and a stronger community.
Listen & document
Capture young people's wishes, session by session.
Build together
Trusting relationships, life skills and resilient networks.
Film the story
A short film documenting the whole journey.
Evaluate & grow
Measure the impact and shape what comes next.
The feedback tree
Every session, everyone is invited to write their feedback and pop it on the tree — so the forum keeps growing around exactly what young people say.
Made by youth, for young people
Young people tell us there's no youth-led provision — plenty of groups and clubs, but nothing developed by youth, for young people, made up of young people. We focus on the communities most affected by barriers:
“A grassroots group with a ground-up approach — not a ‘done to’ approach. Young people take ownership, build skills like budgeting, cooking and life skills, and effect real change in their own communities.”
Anyone under 25 can join the steering groups, the community and take part. We welcome every ethnicity, background, faith, belief and gender into a neutral space — because it's imperative the forum is user-led and representative of the community.
An EIMD area of highest deprivation
The English Indices of Deprivation rank our location a 1 EIMD area. Poverty, inequality, racism, crime, a lack of opportunity and poorer health are more prevalent here — among the worst statistics in the country. That is exactly why a space led by young people matters so much.
Events, online & out in the community
Themed events
Events that draw more young people in — with statutory services, charities, schools and clubs invited to network, take part and help shape the offer in Derby.
Online presence
Posts and a digital presence on the platforms young people already use, reaching wider communities and networks.
Community connections
Built on the relationships from our food bank, uniform swap shop and charity shop — and growing every week.
Unite. Speak up. Build it together.
Anyone under 25 is welcome. Come together in a neutral, safe space — led by young people — to tackle the issues that affect you and shape a forum that looks exactly how you want it to.