UK Coaching Backs Trusted Adult Guarantee from Football Beyond Borders
News by UK Coaching
Generations of young men face growing harm from a toxic online subculture unless the UK government takes action to ensure every young person has access to a trusted adult outside the family, according to a new taskforce launching today.
UK Coaching is proud to announce its support for the ‘Lost Boys Taskforce’, a vital initiative from Football Beyond Borders (FBB), which aims to ensure that every young person has access to a trained, trusted adult in their lives.
Their call for the government to provide a Trusted Adult Guarantee, giving young people across Britain the support of a role model outside their family, aligns closely with our ongoing mission to champion safe, inclusive, and person-centred coaching environments. It also reinforces our belief in the transformative power of positive relationships in youth development.
Most importantly, at the heart of this partnership lies a shared commitment to safeguarding, well-being, and holistic development. UK Coaching believes that coaches often serve not only as instructors but also as informal mentors and role models, and this is extremely present in community and extracurricular settings.
We believe there is a natural synergy with several of the key strategic pillars, across holistic coaching and safeguarding efforts, our Duty to Care Hub, the Play Their Way campaign, our strategic alignment with Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy and so much more.
With over 170,000 coaches in our network, we hope to be able assist the great work that the FBB team are doing by helping scale and amplify the Trusted Adult Guarantee, particularly in non-school settings where 47% of young people seek meaningful adult relationships.
Coaches, particularly in after-school clubs and grassroots sport, frequently take on pastoral roles without formal designation. UK Coaching welcomes the opportunity, and is thrilled, to collaborate with Football Beyond Borders to ensure these coaches are equipped, valued, and recognised as trusted adults.
Together, we can close the gap between school-based pastoral care and community-based youth development, ensuring continuity, sustainability, and deeper impact.
Mark Gannon, CEO of UK Coaching, commented: "UK Coaching are proud to be supporting this initiative.
We know 24% of boys trust a sports coach as their go-to adult outside the family, and we look forward to working with FBB and supporting the Taskforce to ensure all young people – especially those most vulnerable – have access to a trusted adult outside of the family home.”
The Guarantee includes government-funded training for 10,000 trusted adults in education and sport settings – focusing first on boys growing up in poverty – and a national tracking system in schools on the number of young people who have adults they can speak to when they're struggling.
Chaired by Paul Barber, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion FC, the Taskforce was set up in response to growing concerns that a generation of boys are becoming increasingly vulnerable to dangerous ideas online without a reliable role model in the day-to-day life.
Over half a million (630,000) young people in England do not have a ‘trusted adult’ – a person who they feel safe going to outside their family.
Academic research shows access to a trusted adult is one of the most significant factors in helping vulnerable teenagers with school engagement, mental health and social isolation. Currently, however, only a tiny fraction of adults working with young people receive trusted adult training.
Paul Barber OBE, CEO of Brighton and Hove Albion, said:
“I know from my own experience how crucial having a reliable mentor when you’re young can be. At a time when toxic influencers like Andrew Tate are filling the void for so many boys, it’s clear that too many young men feel isolated and directionless. That’s a ticking timebomb – not just for them, but for the generations that follow. By making sure every child has access to a trusted adult at school or in their community, the UK Government has a real opportunity to change the lives, outcomes and potential of Britain's young people.”
Alastair Campbell said:
"We should all be concerned about the rise in the number of young men who feel disconnected, disillusioned and ignored, and are often drawn towards those who exploit their sense of anger and alienation rather than help genuinely to address it. The Trusted Adult Guarantee is just one practical and timely idea to help change the trajectory on which too many boys and young men find themselves. With government backing and public support this can make a real difference to the lives of young men and the contribution they can make. If we’re serious about tackling the root causes of polarisation and disaffection, this is a good place to start.”
Tristan Rowley, 20 years old and Taskforce Member, said:
“Growing up on a council estate in Salford, I had no idea where I fit in or what my future could look like. I wasn’t badly behaved, but it’s easy to get pulled into the wrong crowd. After I got jumped, my head was all over the place. My trusted adult at FBB, Nuh, kept me behind after a session and just listened. Over time, he helped me screw my head back on and realise there’s more to life. That relationship completely changed my path. Without Nuh, I don’t know where I’d be. Every young man deserves that kind of support — someone real, who’s been there, and who genuinely cares.”
John McAvoy, Author & Ironman and former prisoner said:
"If I’d had a trusted adult when I was younger, my life could’ve taken a very different path. It took prison for me to find someone who really saw me, challenged me, and helped me believe I could live differently. We shouldn't wait for young people to hit rock bottom before they get that kind of support. This campaign is about making sure every young person has a trusted adult early enough to make a real difference."
Kofi Josephs, England basketball player said:
“Growing up, I saw firsthand how easy it is for boys to fall through the cracks when they don’t have someone in their corner. It wasn’t the school or the system that kept me on track – truthfully, the schooling system didn’t know how to support me. It was having mentors that helped me navigate it and bridge the gap to success. It’s not just parents raising young people anymore – it’s the communities and environments around them that play a huge role in shaping who they become. Having trusted adults within those communities, people who can be a sounding board, a role model, and a source of real guidance, is absolutely crucial. I had that. My mentors helped shape me into not only an England Commonwealth basketball player but into the man I am today. That’s why I’m proud to stand behind this campaign - every young boy deserves someone in their corner who listens, believes in them, and helps them see what’s possible when they believe in themselves.”
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