RECLAIM launches new 4-year organisational strategy to build a fair and just world for working-class young people

RECLAIM is launching a new four-year organisational strategy, evolving our current approach and working towards our vision to create a fair and just world for working-class people.

Historically, we’ve delivered short and long-term programmes and youth-led campaigns across Greater Manchester. Our work supports young people in creating change and includes themes that intersect with class, including gender justice, youth justice and social housing.

We’ll continue to build knowledge, power, community and solidarity with working-class young people and campaign on issues that affect them the most. Our strategy will take a holistic approach to class inclusivity, using Community, Campaigns and Consultancy:

1. Community: creating spaces that grow a sense of belonging and solidarity.

2. Campaigns: challenging institutions, systems and structures. 

3. Consultancy: supporting organisations to become class-inclusive.

Working-class young people will still inform our work, and their thoughts, views, and advice will always shape our programmes, strategies, and operations.

RECLAIM Chair, Kay Polley, commented: “Organisations must evolve to meet competing challenges they're operating in. From tackling the socio-economic conditions our young people face to finding ways to ensure our organisation can remain both sustainable and impactful, RECLAIM’s new strategy will take us boldly into our 15th year.”

A history of success

Since 2010, our historic youth leadership programmes have developed young leaders and change-makers. Our young alumni have gone on to establish and lead organisations including Young Manchester, Muslim Northern Women, The Reign Collective and The Outliers Project creating change across the North West and beyond.

Our Manchester Manifesto campaigners were invited to tour Parliament and listen to a panel of politicians speak about youth engagement in politics.

RECLAIM’s young campaigners have led campaigns that focus on improving the lives of working-class young people now and in the future, making change at local, regional and national levels. Some of our campaigns and programmes include:

• #IfWeDidThis: called for an end to politicians using violent and dehumanising language, supported by the former Speaker of the House and over 70,000 members of the public

• Stick Together, Stand Together: a documentary that asks why young and working-class people are shut out from politics, and what we need to do to change this.

• Our Pass: lobbied the Greater Manchester Mayor to provide 16-18-year-olds free bus travel across Greater Manchester.

• Missing Experts: research into the experiences of working-class staff within the charity sector led to leading anti-poverty charities and think tanks committing to becoming more class-inclusive.

• Keeping Children and Young People Safe: over 500 young people across Greater Manchester influenced services and professionals to step up and support young people to feel safe in their communities. This led to thousands of pounds of grants issued for youth-led safety projects across the city. 

Our organisation comprises 9 staff members, a board of trustees and a youth board of RECLAIM participants. We also have a network of 20+ volunteers who provide ad hoc mentoring and support across one of our core programmes.

Secure real-life change with and for working-class young people

Much like our previous campaigns and programmes, we intend to deliver with a purpose that secures real-life change for young people. We aim to see more young people influencing work with a socio-economic focus - organising collective campaigns and participating in civic decision-making spaces.

We will also develop a wider offer for past and present young people which will focus on building a stronger, more connected community of working-class young activists across Greater Manchester and beyond, shifting power to where it’s needed.

Katie Shaw, Head of Campaigns at RECLAIM, stated: “While the system continues to be rigged in every way possible against working-class young people, our focus must be on building power. We need to give working-class young people the knowledge and tools to dismantle oppressive systems and the infrastructure to create a fair and just world.”

Young people on our gender justice programme ‘Full Time Fierce’ participate in a ‘Building a Culture of Care’ session.

Become the consultant of choice for class equity in the workplace

While many organisations see equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as a crucial part of their strategy, class often doesn’t appear in their EDI initiatives.

We aim to change this by positioning ourselves as the experts in addressing socio-economic barriers to inclusion in the workplace. We plan to do this by creating strategic partnerships, thought leadership and hosting a class inclusion conference.

We also introduced our Consultancy following the groundbreaking Missing Experts report in 2022. Seven organisations have received it so far and one of those organisations has 22,000 employees who will benefit from including social class in the company’s EDI strategy.

Becky Bainbridge, RECLAIM CEO, commented: “People have been sold the idea that Britain is a society based on meritocracy, but meritocracy doesn’t work when it exists in parallel with inequality. We need a joined-up approach tackling class inequality - an approach where employers do their fair share of the work.”

Navigating a volatile landscape

We face the problem of youth services in England and Wales being cut by 70% since 2010-2011, a total loss of £1.1 billion. Cuts to youth services create a huge demand on our staff for well-being and safeguarding support for young people that isn’t readily available, but we still have to deliver it alongside our programmes. Many of our young people often require this support as they are on the sharp end of inequality.

The volatile funding landscape also provides challenges, as 903 small charities closed in 2024, struggling to compete with bigger organisations for crucial funding. We released an emergency appeal less than 12 months ago after local authority funding ‘completely disappeared’. 

This makes our Consultancy work even more critical as we seek to move away from reliance on funders. RECLAIM remains optimistic, planning to diversify our income streams, increase donor engagement and develop a long-term financial plan.

Join us in building a fairer future for working-class young people

At RECLAIM, we believe every working-class young person deserves the opportunity to create meaningful change. As we launch our new four-year organisational strategy, we’re committed to building power with working-class young people through community, campaigns, and consultancy.

For more information or to discuss funding opportunities, please contact us at: info@reclaimproject.org.uk