In honour of International Women’s Day 2026, we sit down with Kate Thomson, Head of Operations for Scotland, to explore her journey at Street League and the path that led her to where she is today.

Kate shares insights into the female mentors who have inspired her, challenges she has overcome, and how she balances her role as a leader with being a mum to her 4-year-old daughter. Kate also reflects on how Street League brings a ‘Give to Gain’ approach in the way they support, engage, and empower young women.

Wesley, 23 from Harehills, West Yorkshire, was referred to Street League back in March 2025 after being unemployed for just under a year. In school he struggled to get the additional support he required or a learning plan to recognise the adjustments that would benefit Wesley.

Read how Street League helped him go from unemployed to employee of the year at Nando’s!

In the summer of 2025, Big Yellow colleagues opened the doors of their London King’s Cross store to Street League participants, hosting a CV and mock interview workshop designed to prepare young people for the world of work. For many of those in the room, it was their first opportunity to sit down with employers, ask questions in an informal setting and gain practical insight into what recruiters look for.

Street League is delighted to unveil a new social media teaser campaign to mark its expansion into the North Scotland region. This growth will see Street League bring its successful Employability Academy programme to unemployed young people aged 16–24, with delivery teams based in Inverness and Dingwall.

Street League are delighted to have been awarded funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, a first in its history, to deliver a Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Community Grants programme in partnership with VOLA, focussed on young people in the region aged 18-21, in need of employability and essential skills development.

Street League will launch a brand-new employability service in the Highlands in 2026, as part of the new ‘All in Highlands’ partnership.

As Youth Work Week (3-9 November) shines a light on creating safe places, trusted support, and opportunities to thrive for young people, we're proud to showcase our partnership with Skills Builder, who provide the framework for the Essential Skills element of our programmes. 

Inverclyde recently witnessed a significant success story through the efforts of Street League's 12-week Stage 3 programme, where two 17-year-old best friends, Stuart and Alex, achieved their professional goals in the construction sector.

Street League has successfully achieved the Matrix Standard accreditation across its programmes in England and Scotland, recognising its commitment to delivering high-quality information, advice and guidance that empowers young people to succeed in work and life.

Street League is proud to highlight a unique partnership with local business Car Valeting Glasgow.

As part of our ongoing academy programme, they met at Garscube Sports Centre, where James from Car Valeting Glasgow led a hands-on training session in professional car valeting.

Our 2024-25 Annual Report is here! Read it now.

Wagamama recently hosted a unique Insight Day for Street League London participants, providing them with valuable insights into the hospitality and food service industries.

Attendees learned directly from Wagamama’s experienced professionals, exploring key topics such as customer service, teamwork, and career paths in hospitality.

The event featured interactive sessions, allowing participants to engage in discussions and network with industry leaders, helping to inspire and build essential skills for their future careers.

We celebrated the end of the year for the Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES) at the Greater Manchester Chambers of Commerce.

We are particularly proud of Tahira Ope, who earned the MAES CLF Achiever of the Year award for her exceptional dedication to learning in the 2024/25 academic year.

Looking ahead, we are excited to continue our partnership with MAES in the 2025/26 academic year to provide community learning programmes for adults across Greater Manchester.

As Youth Employment Week draws to a close, we celebrate the success of Eloise Turner, from Sheffield.  

Unfortunately, Eloise (20) didn’t have the best time at college and was feeling a bit lost prior to joining a Street League Academy. She was involved with some negative peer groups, unsure about her future and didn't know where or who she could turn to. 

As we mark Volunteers' Week 2025, we're proud to highlight the incredible impact of our partnership with CVC, Street League's longest-standing corporate partner.

Since our partnership began in 2010, CVC has played a vital role in helping young people across the UK build brighter futures through funding and consistent, meaningful volunteering that brings skills and confidence to life.

Street League recently had the honour of hosting two sporting legends at its Moss Side Academy programme: eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist Usain Bolt and Manchester United’s and Danish international Christian Eriksen. This special visit came as part of the celebration for the 25th Anniversary of the Laureus World Sports Awards, where Street League was nominated in the Sport for Good category.

We are delighted to announce that Street League has successfully retained the Matrix Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) accreditation, a significant achievement that highlights our commitment to delivering high-quality support and guidance. The Matrix standard, recognised by the Department for Education, validates our dedicated efforts to effectively meet the diverse needs of our participants.