Copenhagen Youth Project (CYP) is a community-based youth charity working in Islington, North London, supporting young people who are facing barriers to education, wellbeing and future opportunities.

For 20+ years, we have worked alongside young people aged 7-25 who are often excluded, overlooked or struggling to stay engaged with school and services. Many are growing up with poverty, instability or trauma and are dealing with anxiety, low confidence or difficult experiences at home. Without the right support, these challenges can quickly limit a young person’s choices and future prospects.

CYP exists to make sure young people are not left to navigate this alone.

We provide open-access, trauma-informed youth work, creating safe and consistent spaces where young people can build trusted relationships with youth workers who know them, understand their lives, and keep showing up.

Our work includes youth clubs, one-to-one mentoring, creative and sports activities, and help to re-engage with education, training or employment. Young people can stay involved over time, allowing trust to grow and support to be shaped around their individual needs.

Many of the young people we support have disengaged from school or feel education and opportunity are “not for people like them”. CYP’s work is preventative and long-term, helping young people rebuild confidence, feel safe and take steps towards positive futures.

We see real impact: recent monitoring shows an 82% reduction in offending and a 69% reduction in antisocial behaviour, alongside improved engagement with education and training. As one young person shared, “CYP made me feel comfortable enough to actually open up-something I haven’t done anywhere else.”

Donations help keep our youth workers present and our spaces open - providing trusted adults, safe places and life-changing support for young people in Islington who need it most.