At UpRising, we believe that the UK should have leaders in every sector that reflect the population. We believe in a society that supports social mobility, diversity and equality. Most importantly, we believe that young people are at the forefront of change and can achieve great things, regardless of their race, gender, class or sexual orientation.

We open up pathways to leadership and employability for young adults aged 16-25.

We have provided over 4,000 young people across Bedfordshire and Luton, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and London with leadership development, employability and democratic engagement programmes. Our young people, who we affectionaly call UpRisers, see their lives change through our programmes. 

As one UpRiser put it, “UpRising has helped me to develop as a person and learn new skills, such as managing a team of people to help deliver a social action campaign. I have learned that there is more to leadership than being the toughest or the loudest in the room, that it requires confidence, networking skills and a great deal of responsibility and accountability.

The sessions have helped me see the various aspects to becoming a leader – from understanding your personality type (and that of others around you) to the many various issues that one can tackle,such as environmental concerns."

UpRising's mission is to break the cycle of under-representation among positions of power. We unearth and inspire raw young talent so that our communities will have leaders who truly understand and address their needs. UpRising Programmes develop the attributes young people need to find new opportunities and to raise their aspirations. Our UpRisers benefit from enhanced employability, increased educational attainment, fulfilled potential and strengthened communities through social action.

Our Programmes include:

Leadership and Environmental Leadership Programmes (ELP) A nine-month (part-time) leadership development programme providing skills, tools and networks to under-represented young people 18-25 to fulfil their leadership potential.

Fastlaners our employability programme for under and unemployed 18-25 year olds which aims to help young people find meaningful employment across a reign of sectors.

Find Your Power (FYP) a short programme for 16-18 year olds to increase their self-esteem, confidence, and project development skills while inspiring them to stand up for what they believe in.

“UpRising shows the potential to rapidly improve young people’s life chances, unravelling years with the odds stacked against them”. Demos 2016