Youth Options
Who we are:
Youth Options is a Hampshire charity who believe that every child and young person deserves a better future, whatever their life circumstances.
Right now, there are children, and young people are at risk of exploitation, living with abuse or neglect, in care, dealing with poor mental health or bullying. Youth Options exists to give them hope. Through the generosity of people like you, we provide personalised support to children and young people right now – whether that is through one-to-one mentoring, taking a group on a short break, or simply running a youth club session as a safe space to hang out
with friends.
Last year we reached over 8000 children and young people. With the help of people like you, we could reach more.
Why run for us:
When you run for Youth Options, you’re not just crossing the finish line – you’re helping a young person take their own steps toward a better future.
A future like 8-year-old R who came to Youth Options when he was in foster care, his school was struggling with his behaviour, and he was constantly getting into fights. Through nature-based learning, our youth support worker worked with R each week, helping him open up about what had happened to him, helping find coping strategies and learning ways to develop friendships. His days with us were the highlight of his week. Thanks to his progress, R was allowed to go on the end of year school residential and shortly after he left foster care for good and is now living with his loving, adoptive family.
Youth Options relies entirely on donations and support from individuals, business, foundations and organisations to provide our support completely free to children and young people.
What better way to motivate you to the finish line to know that you are, literally, changing a child’s life for the better.
What you’ll get
- Free Youth Options branded running vest to wear on the day
- Digital support pack with fundraising ideas and materials
- Support from our fundraising team to help you reach your goal (running and fundraising!)
- Event day stand and support team to cheer you on
Your support means we can be there when they need us the most. By offering vital services, resources and the tools they need to help them overcome barriers, more young people in our communities will have the opportunity to build confidence within themselves, improve their wellbeing and realise they are more capable than they once believed.
You’re giving a young person the support, guidance, and hope they need to build a better future.
What to do next:
To run for Youth Options and join an ever-growing group of people who make a difference to lives of children and young people please visit our website: https://youthoptions.org.uk/new-forest-marathon-2025/
