Why we exist
One in five young people growing up in poverty believes their life will amount to nothing. Not because they lack talent or drive, but because poverty places relentless barriers in the way of their education, wellbeing, and dreams.
We exist to change that.
What poverty really looks like
Poverty isn’t abstract. It’s a daily reality for the thousands of young people we work with.
It’s having to choose between feeling warm or feeling full – because your family can only afford heating or dinner in the depths of winter; sharing a bed with siblings because there’s not enough space; looking after yourself because your parents must work multiple jobs to even get close to getting ends to meet.
Poverty is dreams postponed, childhoods shortened, and potential left untapped – not for lack of effort or ability, but lack of opportunity.
To qualify for Free School Meals in England, most families must earn under £7,400 a year after tax – that’s less than £20 a day to cover everything: food, heating, clothes, transport, school supplies.
That’s the reality many of our young people are growing up in – where every day brings new barriers to learning, wellbeing, and opportunity.
When young people disengage, the costs run deep
When young people feel unseen, unheard and unsupported – they disengage. And when they disengage, they don’t just fall behind. They fall out entirely.
This isn’t about personal failure. It’s about structural neglect.
It looks like a child missing school because anxiety keeps them in bed. A teenager pulled into toxic online spaces or local gangs – not because they’re bad, but because they’re looking for belonging and school isn’t offering it. It looks like frustration, silence, and futures quietly slipping away.
To re-engage young people – to help them believe in their future – we need more than data or policy.
We need trusted adults. Daily presence. Real belonging. In the one place they already are: school and communities.
Greenhouse steps in when the system steps out
We don’t wait for young people to find us – we show up for them. Every day. In their school. In their lives. Because that’s what works. Meeting young people where they are. And never giving up on where they could go.
The consequences of poverty are stark
Lower Attainment
Just 25.2% of disadvantaged pupils achieved a grade 5+ in GCSE English & Maths in 2022–23, compared to 52.4% of their peers. Read more
Absenteeism
In 2023–24, 37% of disadvantaged pupils were persistently absent—missing over 10% of school, compared to an overall average of 20% across all pupils. For many, the system doesn’t feel worth showing up for. Read more
Exclusion & Risk
Over the last 15 years, youth services in England have faced a £1.2 billion cut in funding– that’s a 73% reduction. Council-run youth centres have halved, and over 1,200 have shut. Where youth clubs have closed, teenagers were 14% more likely to engage in crime and scored 4% lower in exams. Read more
Violence
Deprivation and violence are closely linked. Young people from areas of deprivation are more likely to be exposed to violent behaviour than peers from more affluent areas, with exposure to violence particularly apparent in London. Young people from families experiencing the greatest pressures on finances are more likely to be victims of violence. Read more
Worsening Mental Health
Young people in deprived areas are more likely to experience mental health disorders, including anxiety and depressive disorders, with social isolation and withdrawal exacerbating these issues. Read more
Our impact reaches thousands, and it lasts
Last year, we reached 8,500+ young people in over 65 schools
With over two decades of impact, we know how to reach the young people others don’t.
Sport is the hook. But the goal is much bigger: Confidence. Connection. A fair chance at life.
