TRAIN - Inspiring Young People

What TRAIN - Inspiring Young People does

TRAIN - Inspiring Young People is a UK-registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity number 1176258, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Didcot, Oxfordshire, with a second operational base in Wallingford. The organisation delivers open-access youth work, structured mentoring, detached youth work, and specialised programmes (including SHOUT!, an LGBTQ+ youth group positioned as Oxfordshire's only weekly offering of its kind) to young people aged 10-18 across both towns. Service delivery is mediated by a small in-house team of qualified youth workers supplemented by school-based delivery through referral partnerships with Didcot Girls School, St Birinus School, Wallingford School, UTC Oxfordshire, and Aureus School, plus two strategic delivery partnerships: Oxford United in the Community (weekly Premier League Kicks football sessions at Didcot Leisure Centre) and Youth Challenge Oxfordshire (the 18-month YOCO programme).

The portfolio includes a youth club format with structured activities (PlayStation 5, air hockey, pool, arts and crafts, cooking), 1-2-1 mentoring (12 weekly sessions in schools), group mentoring programmes (six-week Primary, six-week Safer Streets on gender-based violence, eight-week Transitions peer-mentoring), single-sex Young Women's and Young Men's groups, Youth Voice leadership and social action, school holiday trips and residentials, and community engagement with local politicians. Underlying technology is lightweight: a WordPress website (trainyouth.org.uk), WhatsApp community channels per location, and standard social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X). There is no proprietary software product, no app, no API, and no disclosed AI capability; the core delivery is human-led.

Revenue is generated entirely from donations and grant funding — including the National Lottery, Oxfordshire County Council, and other charitable trusts — rather than from fees charged to beneficiaries, with all youth services provided free of charge to young people. Marketing and beneficiary outreach operate through WhatsApp communities, social media, the website, and school-based referral channels. Governance rests with a Board of Trustees, with a Trustee Safeguarding Champion (Paul Brown), CEO Ben Drabble, Youth Work Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead Justina Hodson, Mentoring Lead Georgina Dawson, and Deputy DSL Lydia Halsey.

Name

TRAIN - Inspiring Young People

Legal name

Didcot TRAIN - Inspiring Young People (CIO)

Website

https://trainyouth.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth work services
• Youth mentoring programmes
• Detached youth work
• School-based mentoring
• LGBTQ+ youth support

Headquarters

HQ city

Didcot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: TRAIN operates as a registered charity (Number: 1176258) relying on voluntary donations from individuals and funding from charitable foundations, government bodies, and local authorities to sustain free youth services.
2. Funder Partnerships: Multiple funders including National Lottery, Oxfordshire County Council, and other institutional donors provide grants to support youth work activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TRAIN is a youth work charity providing free, open-access services to young people aged 10-18 in Didcot and Wallingford, Oxfordshire. Core offerings include weekly youth clubs, detached youth work in public spaces, 1-2-1 and group mentoring programmes delivered in schools, specialised groups (Young Women's, Young Men's, and the SHOUT! LGBTQ+ youth group), football sessions via the Premier League Kicks partnership, the YOCO 18-month skills programme, and trips and holiday activities. All services are provided free of charge to young people and funded through donations and charitable grants.

Product overview

TRAIN is a youth work charity providing a unified portfolio of youth services in Didcot and Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The core offering consists of open-access youth clubs providing safe informal spaces, supplemented by structured mentoring programmes (1-2-1 and group formats), detached youth work meeting young people in public spaces, and specialised groups including an LGBTQ+ youth group (SHOUT!) and gender-specific sessions. Additional services include football sessions through Premier League Kicks partnership, leadership and social action opportunities (Youth Voice), holiday trips, and the YOCO 18-month skills programme. All activities are provided free of charge to young people aged 10-18, funded through donations and charitable grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Clubs Weekly open-access youth clubs providing safe informal spaces with activities including PlayStation 5, air hockey, pool, arts and crafts, cooking, and youth worker support for young people aged 10-18.
• 1-2-1 Mentoring One-to-one mentoring programme supporting young people aged 11-18 who find school, friendships and daily life difficult. Collaborative process focused on personal growth with weekly sessions at schools for 12 weeks.
• Group Mentoring - Primary Mentoring Six-week programme working with primary schools to support Year 6 children showing early signs of emotional distress or behavioural difficulties through the transition to secondary school.
• Group Mentoring - Safer Streets Six-week course in secondary schools tackling gender-based violence, harassment and harmful attitudes, covering healthy relationships, gender stereotypes, and consent.
• Group Mentoring - Transitions Eight-week programme training older students to mentor Year 7s through secondary school transition, building leadership skills and supporting younger students.
• Football Sessions (Premier League Kicks) Weekly free football sessions run in partnership with Oxford United in the Community through the Premier League Kicks programme at Didcot Leisure Centre for ages 10-18.
• Young Women's Group Weekly sessions for females aged 10-18 featuring games, arts and crafts, self-care, cooking, and AQA qualifications with youth worker support.
• Young Men's Group Weekly sessions for males aged 10-18 featuring games, gym equipment, cooking, and AQA qualifications with youth worker support.
• Youth Voice (Leadership & Social Action) Opportunities for young people to shape TRAIN's work, lead projects, volunteer in the community, meet with local politicians, and earn qualifications.
• Detached Youth Work Youth workers meet young people in public spaces including town centres, streets, and parks where young people naturally congregate.
• SHOUT! LGBTQ+ Youth Group Weekly safe space for LGBTQ+ young people and allies featuring discussions, creative activities, and expert guest sessions; staff trained in supporting trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people.
• YOCO (Youth Opportunities and Community Outreach) 18-month programme for Years 9-11 enabling young people to learn new skills, challenge themselves, go on trips, and give back to the community, run in partnership with Youth Challenge Oxfordshire.
• Trips and Holiday Activities School holiday activities and trips including O2 Arena climbing, ice skating, Thorpe Park Fright Night, Queer Britain visits, and France residentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of young people report improved mental health
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Youth Challenge OxfordshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRAIN runs the YOCO (Youth Opportunities and Community Outreach) programme in partnership with Youth Challenge Oxfordshire. YOCO is an 18-month programme for Years 9-11 giving young people opportunities to learn new skills, meet people, challenge themselves, go on trips and give back to the community.
• Oxford United in the CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly free football sessions run in partnership with Oxford United in the Community through the Premier League Kicks programme at Didcot Leisure Centre. Sessions are open to all abilities aged 10-18, boys and girls.
• KumonminorOthersTRAIN shares its Didcot premises with Kumon, located two doors down from Iceland in Didcot's marketplace.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/becky
• Facebookfacebook.com/TRAINYouthOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/train-inspiring-young-people
• Instagraminstagram.com/trainyouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TRAIN - Inspiring Young People