Merger With AMBITION

In April 2016, NCVYS merged with the Ambition organisation in an attempt to move further towards its goal of promoting the youth sector's future in an even wider sense. The aim was to launch a platform for greater collaboration and wider consolidation and to offer greater support to all kinds of youth organisations so that a more resilient and united youth sector could be achieved. Rather than solely focusing on individual organisations within the NCVYS' membership, the aim was to expand ever wider.

Who Were AMBITION?

AMBITION is the most recent incarnation of the National Association of Boys' Clubs, which was one of the original members of the organisation. AMBITION was also the home of the CHYPS (or Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services), which was the organisation set up for leaders of young people's services under local authority control.

Reactions To The Merger

Although many organisations and individuals were sad to see the end of the NCVYS, the need for organisations to adapt and change to modern life in order to survive and grow is well understood. The understandable merger was deemed to be both principled and practical and the two organisations would be working in unity to defend voluntary and statutory youth work from negative government influences and to continue to promote the needs of young people in England today.

Further Developments

In 2017, the merged organisations also merged with a third youth organisation, UK Youth to form an even stronger partnership to promote and defend the youth voice in the country, and to create greater opportunities for growth and development over the coming years. The three organisations, which had almost 300 years of experience in the youth sector between them now work together to lead consultations regarding young people's services in the UK and how they can be upheld in the face of reduced finances for the sector.

They are now holding events nationwide for stakeholders from across the sector to discuss new and innovative ways in which they can function in order to transform the future of the youth services sector.