Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs) act as hubs for developing and supporting youth work in their regions, working with commissioners, providers and young people themselves to ensure the sector is well-informed, skilled and responsive to changes in government policies and young people’s needs. They are a core element of infrastructure support for the youth sector in their regions.

RYWUs are independent organisations, based in the region they cover, with governance arrangements that reflect the voices of youth organisations in the region

RYWUs collaborate with a wide range of local, regional and national organisations with an interest in supporting and developing youth work. They may lead on multi-organisation partnerships in their areas or might undertake regional roll-out of national programmes in collaboration with national bodies. At the heart of a RYWU is the needs of young people and the youth sector in their regions.