A place to grow Exploring the future health of young people in five sites across the UK
December 2018

Key points
- In five UK towns and cities, the Young people’s future health inquiry team listened to the perspectives of young people and youth organisations about access to the assets needed for a healthy transition into adulthood.
- Our visits uncovered common themes and a strong sense of place, shaping the young people’s identity and how they described themselves.
- But young people’s access to the opportunities and relationships that can ensure a healthy future varies across the UK.
- Young people are profoundly affected by the nature of their local economy, housing and labour markets, and by the strength of the social fabric around them.
A place to grow is the second report in the Health Foundation’s Young people’s future health inquiry and is the result of engagement with over 600 young people aged 16–24 years from five distinct areas across the UK.
This report marks the next step in our inquiry, investigating some of the key issues impacting young people’s transition into adulthood.
Find out how we chose and organised our five site visits, including training young people to become peer researchers in their locality. And read about the common themes we identified across the areas, reflecting wider societal trends or national policies and how they play out in young people’s lives:
- location and identity: the power of place
- families and place: a changing support system
- education and employment: developing the whole person and every person
- youth services and opportunities: creating potential
- transport: connecting places and people.
The report highlights how optimistic, energetic and committed young people are — but how their health and wellbeing is already being eroded by day-to-day pressures.
If you’d like us to keep in touch with news and updates from the inquiry, complete our sign-up form.
Cite this publication
Report
A healthy foundation for the future
The final report from the Young people's future health inquiry, bringing together all of the...
Learning report
Listening to our future
The first report from the Young people's future health inquiry, sharing the learnings from our early...
Article
Policy recommendations for young people's future health
Read about the nine expert organisations selected to provide a deep dive into seven key policy areas...
Collection
Young people's future health inquiry
Our Young people’s future health inquiry is a first-of-its-kind research and engagement project that...
Related download
You might also like...
Chart
Quantifying health inequalities in England
Quantifying health inequalities is vital to better focus policies designed to address them. This...
Press release
Major study outlines wide health inequalities in England
Analysis from the Health Foundation's REAL Centre outlines wide health inequalities in England.
Newsletter feature
Let's talk differently about health: why framing matters
Maria Castellina, Director of Impact at FrameWorks UK, explains why framing an issue differently...
Get social
Health Foundation @HealthFdn
Are you passionate about improving care? As our Programme Manager for the #NetworkedData Lab, you'll lead the devel… https://t.co/5OX7Yh4ZyD
Follow us on TwitterWork with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more