About our organisation

We launched in February 2024. Our founder and Executive Chair is Anne Longfield CBE, a former Children’s Commissioner for England.

From supporting children in their earliest years to empowering and protecting those young people at risk of lost life chances or harm, our experienced team shines a spotlight and raises the profile of some the biggest challenges facing children.

We campaign for change, and we want to be part of delivering it.  

We believe most children and families in our country are doing well. The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have had an impact on many, but most will recover.  

However, there is a sizeable group – in fact millions of children and families - for whom this isn't the case. The impact of entrenched, generational disadvantage and vulnerability is having a devastating impact on many children’s lives, their future opportunities, and our national prosperity.  

Systems that should be there to support children to thrive - and to protect them from harm – have not always received the reform or attention they deserve from government.

We launched the Centre for Young Lives because we do not accept it always has to be this way.

The Centre for Young Lives has grown out of the Commission on Young Lives, an independent commission looking at how to protect and support vulnerable teenagers, and the previous work of Anne Longfield and her team during her six-year tenure as Children’s Commissioner for England.  

The Centre is hosted by Oasis a national charity founded by Steve Chalke. Oasis builds stronger communities through its pioneering models of sustainable, inclusive, and holistic community development. It works with young people and families in over 40 local neighbourhoods and is responsible for over 30,000 students across its 54 academy schools.

The Centre for Young Lives believes that talent is everywhere among our children and young people, and communities - even if opportunity is not.  

We believe that our country needs a reset in its approach to how we support children, young people, and their families – a new social contract - and we will be working with organisations and individuals who share our belief that Britain should be the best place to grow up for every child.