At Blagrave, we spend a lot of time listening – to young people, to partners, and to others working across the non-profit sector. Over time, their honesty has invited us to hold complex questions and sit with the tensions in the system, as well as the contradictions in our own practices. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been necessary.
Where We Stand is a three‑part video series that offers an honest, thoughtful, and compassionate reflection on the UK’s non‑profit sector. Rooted in the insights of those working directly with and within communities, it aims not to prescribe solutions but to surface truths, recognise challenges, and open space for meaningful conversation.
It is an opportunity for our partners to express what they’re feeling, seeing, and navigating as we listen closely to the truths they’re holding.
Each video acts as a prompt for reflection. We hope it creates space – for curiosity, recognition, accountability and deeper dialogue.
Episode one: Young people and youth work
Young people today are growing up amid financial insecurity, rising mental health challenges, and rapid digital change. One in four children lives in poverty, while access to youth services and safe community spaces continues to shrink.
This episode brings forward perspectives from those closest to these realities, exploring what it feels like to grow up in this context and to work within a youth sector shaped by long-term cuts. The conversation highlights what is being lost when support is reduced just as need intensifies.
Reflection questions:
- What becomes possible when young people have power over the spaces and resources in their communities?
- What does it look like to build support systems that don’t disappear when funding cycles end?
Episode two: Today’s Reality for Youth Charities
Charities across the UK are operating in increasingly difficult conditions. Income is falling, costs are rising, and demand for services continues to grow. After years of austerity, many organisations have become lifelines – stepping in where public systems no longer reach.
In this episode, trusted voices working in the youth sector share what this reality looks like on the ground, and what it means for young people who rely on these services. The conversation surfaces the pressures charities are under, the ways organisations are adapting, and the gaps that continue to affect young people’s lives.
Reflection questions:
- What does it means to centre young people’s needs in a sector stretched to its limits?
- What feels uncomfortable or familiar about some of the issues raised?
Episode three: Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy has positioned itself as a force for tackling inequality and shaping social progress. Yet the scale and urgency of today’s challenges raise difficult questions about whether existing models can meaningfully respond to today’s realities.
In this final episode, voices from across the sector reflect on philanthropy’s role at this moment – including its power, pace, and accountability. The discussion invites reflection on whether approaches shaped in a very different social and economic context are still fit for purpose, and what might need to shift in response to systemic injustice.
Reflection questions:
- Is philanthropy moving at the pace this moment demands?
- Who gets to shape funding decisions – and who doesn’t?
- What would it mean to rethink power, not just redistribute money?