Young Devon
Young Devon is a registered UK charity founded in 1949 that delivers mental health, housing, skills, and youth work services to 5,000+ young people aged 8-25 annually across 15 sites in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay, funded primarily by NHS Devon, Homes England, and charitable foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersIvybridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Young Devon does
Young Devon is a registered UK charity (Charity No: 1057949) and company limited by guarantee (Company No: 3240655), founded in 1949 as the Devon Youth Association and rebranded to Young Devon in 1997. Operating as the largest youth charity in the South West, the organisation serves young people aged 8-25 across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay from 15 operational sites, with a workforce of 200+ staff, volunteers, apprentices, and hosts supporting more than 5,000 young people annually. Its functional focus spans mental health and emotional wellbeing, housing and homelessness prevention, skills training, and relationship-based youth work.
The service portfolio is anchored by MyWay (an emotional wellbeing service integrating counselling, CBT, drop-in sessions, and 24/7 digital access via Kooth), Housing Services (supported housing, supported lodgings, Plan B emergency accommodation, homelessness prevention), Skills and Training Courses, YES Centres, and grant programmes (Start-up Grants up to £500, Enterprise Grants up to £2,000, and Training Funds up to £500 for 16-30 year-olds). Major initiatives include Breakwater Place, a 47-bed supported housing development opened in 2025 in partnership with YMCA Exeter and Plymouth City Council, and the £5.2 million Peer Action Collective research programme. The charity has no proprietary technology platforms; service delivery is human relationship-based, supplemented by third-party digital tools such as Kooth and Space Youth Services' VR Youth Work using virtual-reality kit.
Young Devon's revenue model is grant-funded rather than transactional. Income derives from statutory commissioners (NHS Devon, Homes England, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, OPCC), charitable foundations (Youth Endowment Fund, #iwill Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, Co-op), corporate donors, individual donations, and event-based fundraising such as RunDevon and Operation Elf. All services for young people are provided free of charge.
Young Devon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Young Devon
- Legal name
- Young Devon
- Website
- https://youngdevon.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Young Devon is a registered UK charity founded in 1949 that delivers mental health, housing, skills, and youth work services to 5,000+ young people aged 8-25 annually across 15 sites in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay, funded primarily by NHS Devon, Homes England, and charitable foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Young Devon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)
Keywords
Where Young Devon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ivybridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Young Devon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: Young Devon receives grant funding from government bodies (NHS Devon, Homes England SHAP programme), charitable foundations (Youth Endowment Fund, #iwill Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund), and local authorities for delivering youth services.
- Funding Distribution to Young People: Young Devon distributes grant funding to young people through Start-up Grants (up to £500), Enterprise Grants (up to £2,000), and Training Funds (up to £500) in partnership with SWEF and Backing Business Initiative.
- Donations and Fundraising: The charity receives donations from individuals, local businesses, and corporate sponsors. Events like RunDevon, Operation Elf, and direct donations support fundraising efforts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Start-up Grant - Pre-revenue business funding up to £500 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Enterprise Grant - Trading business funding up to £2,000 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Training and Employment Support Grant - Up to £500 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Young Devon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Young Devon is a Devon-based youth charity delivering mental health support, housing, and skills development services to young people aged 8-25 across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. Operating from 15 sites with 200+ staff and volunteers, it provides the MyWay wellbeing programme, supported housing, training courses, and grant funding to vulnerable young people.
Product overview
Young Devon is a youth charity offering a portfolio of interconnected services for young people aged 8-25 across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. The core offerings include MyWay (wellbeing and mental health support with counselling, CBT, and Kooth digital integration), Housing Services (supported housing, homelessness prevention), Funding for Young People (startup and training grants), Skills and Training Courses, and YES Centres across multiple locations. Major initiatives include Breakwater Place (47-bed supported housing), the Peer Action Collective research programme, and a new NHS-funded mental health service. The charity operates from 15 sites and partners with organisations like Space Youth Services and Encompass South West.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MyWay: Wellbeing support service offering mental health support, counselling, and emotional wellbeing assistance for young people across Devon.
- RunDevon
- Peer Action Collective (PAC)
- Breakwater Place
- Operation Elf
Products and services
- MyWay Wellbeing Programme Mental health and wellbeing support programme for young people aged 8-25 in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay, including self-help tools and guided support.
- Housing Services Supported housing and accommodation-related support services for young people facing housing instability or homelessness in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay.
- Skills and Courses Training, skills, and personal development courses for young people aged 8-25 to support education, employment, and life readiness.
- YES Centres Local youth engagement centres providing access to Young Devon's services across 15 sites in Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay.
- Funding Grants for Young People Grant funding administered by Young Devon and awarded to young people to support personal development, projects, and activities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 91% of young people on skills programmes progressed to college or employment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Young Devon
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Young Devon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Young Devon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KoothcoreDigital mental health partner in NHS Devon-funded service providing 24/7 online counselling and support. Kooth provides digital platform for young people to access advice, guidance and therapy anytime.
- Space Youth ServicescorePartner in MyWay mental health service delivering youth work and activities in community spaces. Space delivers professional youth work and community projects to ensure young people have opportunities to succeed.
- Plymouth City Council Youth ServicecorePartner in MyWay mental health service delivering community youth work and wellbeing support across Plymouth.
- YMCA ExetercoreJoint initiative for Breakwater Place - 47-bed supported housing for young people at risk of homelessness in Plymouth. Young Devon provides daily support services while YMCA Exeter manages accommodation. Partnership addresses acute housing crisis with 162% increase in temporary accommodation demand.
- Encompass South WestcorePartner in MyWay service running monthly youth groups for young people aged 11-17 in North Devon, creating safe spaces for support with mental health and wellbeing.
- SWEF (South West Enterprise Fund)corePartnership for delivering Start-up Grants (up to £500), Enterprise Grants (up to £2,000), and Training Funds to young people aged 16-30 in Devon.
- Backing Business InitiativeminorCo-partner with SWEF for Start-up Grant programme supporting young entrepreneurs.
- Devon and Plymouth Chamber of CommerceminorYoung Devon provides one-year Chamber membership to all successful grant recipients through SWEF partnership.
- Wellbeing ExetercoreOversees Community Connector programme - social prescribing initiative allowing GPs to refer young people aged 11-18 to youth workers for wellbeing support.
- YMCA South DevoncorePartnership in Paignton for supported housing and Nightstop placements in partnership with Torbay Council.
- Turnstyle DesignsminorFamily-run business in Barnstaple that donated funds to renovate apartment in Ilfracombe for two young people to have homes.
- LHC DesignminorDesign and architecture firm chose Young Devon as charity of 2019, raising £6,000 through creative fundraisers including art auctions, charity lunches, and South West Three Peaks Challenge.
- StreetGamesminorNational charity focused on transforming lives through sport. Partner for CEW (Complications of Excessive Weight) project and Unsunk Hero Awards.
- XenZonecorePartner in Young Victims of Crime service alongside Kooth and Young People Cornwall, funded by OPCC.
- Young People CornwallcorePartnership for Young Victims of Crime service supporting young people who have experienced crime.
- Barnardo'scorePartner in CEW (Complications of Excessive Weight) project delivered in Plymouth.
- The Children's SocietyminorPartner in Peer Action Collective programme with representation at Parliament events.
- Practice Plus GroupminorPlymouth hospital that fundraised £1,583 for Young Devon through incredible fundraising efforts.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Young Devon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- St Basils: Birmingham-based charity providing supported housing, homelessness prevention and employability services for 16-25 year olds across the West Midlands. Comparable because of the overlap in supported housing, homelessness prevention and youth employment programmes, although St Basils operates in a different UK region.
- Young People Cornwall: Cornwall-based youth charity delivering mental health, housing and wellbeing services for young people in a neighbouring South West county. Directly comparable as it partners with Young Devon on the Young Victims of Crime service and competes for similar Devon-and-Cornwall commissioner relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Catch22: Social-purpose business delivering services across education, justice, young people and homelessness in the UK. Comparable because Catch22 competes with Young Devon for local-authority and central-government youth contracts and operates in the same mental health, skills and supported accommodation categories.
- YMCA: National federation of local YMCAs delivering youth housing, health and wellbeing programmes across England. Directly comparable because Young Devon partners with YMCA Exeter on the Breakwater Place housing scheme and with YMCA South Devon on Torbay supported housing, indicating shared operating model in youth accommodation and support.
- The Prince's Trust: Major UK youth charity focused on education, employment and enterprise support for 11-30 year olds. Comparable to Young Devon's Skills and Training, Start-up Grants and Enterprise Grants products, which target the same age range and outcomes (training, employment, self-employment) for disadvantaged young people.
- Barnardo's: The UK's largest children's charity, providing services across mental health, homelessness, care-experience support and exploitation. Directly comparable to Young Devon because Barnardo's is already a Young Devon delivery partner (CEW project in Plymouth) and competes for the same local-authority and NHS youth commissioning contracts.
- The Children's Society: National charity working with disadvantaged children and young people, including on exploitation, mental health and youth justice. Comparable because it partners with Young Devon in the Peer Action Collective programme and serves overlapping beneficiaries in mental health and youth violence prevention.
Direct peers
- Centrepoint: UK charity providing accommodation, housing support and employment services specifically for homeless young people aged 16-25. Directly comparable because Young Devon's Breakwater Place, Supported Housing, Plan B and housing support products mirror Centrepoint's core supported-housing-plus model for the same age cohort.
Others
- Stoll (Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions): Charity providing supported housing and life-skills support for vulnerable adults including young veterans leaving the armed forces. Comparable as an adjacent peer because it shares the supported-housing-plus-skills delivery model, although the beneficiary population (veterans) differs from Young Devon's young-people focus.
Emerging players
- Kooth: Digital mental health platform commissioned by the NHS to provide free, anonymous online counselling and wellbeing support for children and young people. Directly comparable as Young Devon's MyWay service integrates Kooth for its 24/7 digital offering, making it both a partner and a partial substitute for in-person wellbeing support.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Young Devon social profiles
Digital presenceYoung Devon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Young Devon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Young Devon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Young Devon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Young Devon
What does Young Devon do?
Young Devon is a Devon-based youth charity delivering mental health support, housing, and skills development services to young people aged 8-25 across Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay. Operating from 15 sites with 200+ staff and volunteers, it provides the MyWay wellbeing programme, supported housing, training courses, and grant funding to vulnerable young people.
Is Young Devon a public or private company?
Young Devon is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Young Devon founded?
Young Devon was founded in 1949.
Where is Young Devon based?
Young Devon is headquartered in Ivybridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Young Devon make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are funding Distribution to Young People and donations and Fundraising.
Who are Young Devon's main competitors?
Regional players on record are St Basils and Young People Cornwall. Broad incumbents are Catch22, YMCA, The Prince's Trust, Barnardo's and The Children's Society. Centrepoint is listed as a direct peer. Stoll (Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions) is listed as an others. Kooth is listed as an emerging player.
Does Young Devon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Young Devon.
What industry is Young Devon in?
Young Devon's product category is Youth Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAO, Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.