Reports Database:
The Social Value of the OnSide Network of Youth Zones

“OnSide commissioned this Social Return on Investment study to further their understanding of the social value generated by the OnSide Network of Youth Zones. Social value is defined by Social Value International as “the importance people place on different aspects of their wellbeing and the changes they experience in these aspects of wellbeing.” Measuring social value, therefore, is a useful way to determine how organisations are impacting upon the wellbeing of individuals and communities.

While Youth Zones undoubtedly create ripples of change that likely affect wellbeing of families, staff and volunteers, OnSide’s vision is clear: “Our vision is for every young person across the UK to be happy, healthy, and able to thrive. We want to empower the UK’s youth to lead positive, fulfilling lives […].” In keeping with this key priority and to provide insights to better manage value created for young people, this analysis zooms in on their experiences, placing young people at the heart of the study to better understand and measure the impact these spaces have on their wellbeing.

This study was carried out by a team of 3 Accredited SROI Practitioners supported by OnSide delivery and management staff. The researchers had access to OnSide’s own bank of relevant data and visited 4 Youth Zones to carry out independent qualitative research. 51 young people were interviewed and a further 784 responded to an online survey.

The headline findings from the study are that…

OnSide Youth Zones support young people to feel free to have fun, to feel safe and to feel confident in themselves

AND

For every £1 of costs there was a return of over £13 of social value in terms of young peoples’ wellbeing.

Other positive outcomes reported by the young people involved include ‘being myself’, feeling ‘less lonely’, having ‘more confidence around other people’ and ‘discovering who I really am.’ Although much smaller in scale than the positive outcomes some negative outcomes were also reported by young people as shown in the table below. The valuations in the study have been calculated using the WELLBY methodology – the only wellbeing valuation methodology recognised by HM Treasury’s Green Book supplementary guidance: wellbeing (UK Government, 2021).”