His Majesty was joined by Idris Elba OBE, as well as young people and youth organisations, for a summit to discuss youth opportunities.
His Majesty joined a reception with young people, youth organisations, government officials, and representatives from the sports, education and arts sectors to hear more about conversations they had earlier in the day on youth opportunities. Also in attendance were the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer, The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy,
After the reception, His Majesty joined a ‘report-back’ discussion chaired by Director at The King’s Trust, Ben Marson. The King heard about progress on youth opportunities and empowerment made by youth sector organisations since July 2024. The discussions were an opportunity for participants to come together, whilst sharing solutions and forging new relationships.
Idris Elba is the founder of the Elba Hope Foundation, and an alumnus of The King’s Trust. As a teenager, he was given a £1,500 grant by The Prince’s Trust to go to the National Youth Music Theatre. His philanthropic efforts, alongside his wife Sabrina Elba, are driven by the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports organisations working in agriculture, food security, environmental conservation, and social justice. Through targeted grants and collaborations in the UK, US, and Africa, the foundation advances educational and economic opportunities for underserved communities.
Since discussions last year, The King’s Trust have launched a Creative Futures programme, in partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation, which commits to inspiring young people through the arts and build their skills and confidence. The Trust has also been working with the Youth Endowment Fund to deepen their understanding of ways their programmes can reduce youth violence.
During the Summit, The King also heard more about the progress of Idris Elba’s anti-knife crime campaign, ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ which launched in 2024 and works to amplify the voices of communities most impacted by serious youth violence. The campaign’s work, along with discussions from the meeting held in July 2024, led to the establishment of ‘The Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime’, a cross-governmental coalition to drive ongoing solutions.
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