It was great to kick off Youth Work Week 2022 at the London Youth Awards in a ceremony that brought our city’s youth sector together to celebrate the impact of youth work and the people who make it happen. I was proud to present the ‘Creating a Better London Award’ to Youth Realities for their work on building inclusive and safe spaces for young people from minoritised or marginalised groups. Youth Work gives young people the opportunities to gain confidence, learn new skills and find passions. But after a decade which saw youth services slashed by 70%, the sector is stretched thin. We need to invest more in our youth services and our young people.