We believe every teenage boy deserves to feel seen, supported, and safe.
The UK faces a crisis: a lost generation of young boys and men adrift without trusted adult role models. And yet, young people who regularly attend youth clubs are more likely to gain higher education qualifications, and less likely to experience the isolation and mental health struggles that can destroy lives.
With intervention, we can address an epidemic that will cost society billions in lost potential and productivity. The Lost Boys Task Force is a coalition of male leaders from football, education, youth, policy, business, and lived experience coming together to tackle this issue head-on.
We want to build a nationwide network of Trusted Adults to guide the next generation giving every young person access to a trusted adult outside of their family home.
The Stakes Are High
Facts demand urgency:
- Over 630,000 young people in England – nearly 1 in 5 teenagers – say they don’t have a trusted adult they can turn to.
- The percentage of young men aged 16-24 not in education, employment, or training has surged by 40%, compared to a 7% increase for young women.
- Boys without guidance are 50% more likely to drop out of school and enter cycles of crime and unemployment.
These aren’t just statistics, they’re lives hanging in the balance. In the face of crisis, we’re calling for urgent, practical action.
Get Involved
Join the Lost Boys Task Force and be part of our ambitious push to transform thousands of lives.
We are asking the Government to co-fund a national roll-out of the Trusted Adult Guarantee:
- Training 10,000 trusted adults across schools and football by 2029 to support young people — beginning with boys growing up in poverty.
- Tracking whether every teenager has a trusted adult, using national school surveys starting in 2025.
- Embedding accountability into Ofsted and policy frameworks, without the need for new legislation.
Uniting the football and education workforce — from pastoral staff to volunteer coaches — behind a shared mission to offer every young person connection, care and belief.
This is a low-cost, high-return policy built on existing infrastructure and it could make us the first country in the world where every child has a trusted adult.
One trusted adult can prevent a lifetime of regret.
What Young People Want from a Trusted Adult
Between late 2024 and 2025, Football Beyond Borders and Youth Beyond Borders led a national research project to better understand what young people really need from the adults in their lives.
We spoke to over a thousand young people aged 12 to 16, listening closely to their stories, their struggles, and their hopes. What emerged was powerful and urgent: across backgrounds and experiences, young people consistently told us they need one thing above all, an adult they trust.
A trusted adult. Someone consistent, present, and on their side.
This research doesn’t just surface a theme, it reveals a need. And that need is growing. At a time when so many young people are falling through the cracks, our findings point to a simple, critical truth: every young person deserves a trusted adult in their corner.
