04/10/2026
Hyatt Regency Birmingham : Scherzo
Tackling the youth jobs gap: How to get Britain’s young people into work
Dr Tony Sewell CBE (House of Lords, Chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities)
Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP (Chingford and Woodford Green, Member of Parliament)
Camilla Tominey (The Daily Telegraph, Associate Editor)
Chaired by Andy Cook (The Centre for Social Justice, Chief Executive)
Britain's welfare system is broken. Over a million young people, more than one in eight, are NEET. Alan Milburn's review reveals the scar this leaves: over £300,000 lost in lifetime earnings, and prescriptions for anxiety and depression up more than 50% a decade on. Our panel of Helen Whately, Camilla Tominey, Lord Tony Sewell, and Iain Duncan Smith MP will tackle this generational scandal of young worklessness, its causes and solutions.
05/10/2026
Birmingham ICC : Youth Zone & Skills Hub - Theatre
Opportunity, Stronger Communities and Safer Futures: The Role of Sport in Supporting Young People
Nigel Huddleston MP (Conservative Party, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Invited))
The Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly MP (MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Invited))
Andy Cook (The Centre for Social Justice, Chief Executive (Invited))
Mark Lawrie (Street Games, Chief Executive)
How can sport help create stronger communities and better opportunities for disadvantaged young people? This session will explore how investment in sport can support social mobility, improve wellbeing, prevent anti-social behaviour and strengthen community cohesion. Panellists will discuss how joined-up policy, early intervention and local delivery can maximise sport’s contribution to safer communities and long-term social and economic outcomes.
