Our HISTORY

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Young Devon has been putting young people at the heart of Devon since 1949. For over seven decades, we have worked to make Devon a better place for all young people — a place where they are respected, where they can get the help they need, where their voices are heard, where they can have a safe home, and where they can thrive. 

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OUR JOURNEY

  • A woman with curly hair sleeping on a bed with brown/gray bedding, near a window with closed brown blinds.

    1949

    Devon Youth Association  

    We began life as the Devon Youth Association, supporting youth clubs and sports groups across the county — boxing in particular was a strong focus in our early years.  

  • Close-up of a person's eye, showing the iris, eyelashes, and eyebrow.

    1997

    DYA became Young Devon. With our new name came a new path, one shaped by the real challenges young people were facing.  

  • Two people are holding hands, one on top of the other, with a background that appears to be indoors, possibly in a farm or rustic setting.

    2000-2010

    Growing Support 

    Our Accommodation services evolved and grew, offering safe homes and preventing homelessness. We developed training and employability programmes and supported young people to take action in their communities.  

  • A person writing on papers at a wooden table with a pen, with a notebook and a white mug in the background.

    2010-2024

    Wellbeing and Mental Health 

    We recognised the importance of wellbeing, expanding counselling, peer support and mental health training in schools, and giving young people the help they needed, in the way they wanted it.  

  • A woman with long brown hair looking at the sunset on a coastal landscape with ocean and dunes.

    Today

    The Largest Youth Charity in the South West 

    With 200 staff members, volunteers, apprentices and hosts, Young Devon now supports more than 5,000 young people every year. Our Accommodation team provides thousands of safe nights, our Wellbeing team delivers hundreds of hours of counselling, and our Skills and Training projects help young people build brighter futures. 

  • A young man with glasses and blonde hair, wearing a gray t-shirt, sitting on a black chair with a woman with short blonde hair and a colorful striped shirt, engaged in conversation in a room with a potted plant, a white cabinet, and two small plants on top.

    Looking Forward

    For over 75 years, each generation of young people has faced new challenges. Young Devon has always been there — and always will be — to listen, to support, and to make sure young people can thrive.