This month, we proudly mark the 10th anniversary of Refugee Youth Service (RYS). As we reflect on this milestone, we also share an important decision: RYS will conclude its operations this summer, bringing ten years of work to a responsible and meaningful close.

RYS has never been about the organisation itself — it has always been about the thousands of unaccompanied young people on the move whom we have had the privilege to walk alongside. Their resilience, creativity, and determination have been the driving force behind RYS since the beginning.

From the creation of Baloo’s Youth Centre in the Calais ‘Jungle’, to building vital support systems in Greece and Italy, and ultimately focusing our efforts on the complex challenges facing young refugees in the UK, RYS has stood beside extraordinary young people seeking safety, stability, and a new beginning.

Supporting young people has demanded deep commitment — responding to complex individual needs while navigating an increasingly challenging social, financial, and political environment. Yet, despite these obstacles, and thanks to our dedicated team and wider community, we have provided safe spaces, accommodation, child protection, advocacy, education, and psychosocial support to thousands of young people. We have also trained hundreds of organisations in safeguarding and best practice for working with displaced children and young people.

We are immensely proud of all that has been achieved together.

Our gradual closure over the coming months will allow us to honour two core commitments:

1. Responsible Transition of Support
Our foremost priority is the young people we support. We are already working to ensure each one is transferred smoothly to trusted organisations. No young person will be left without support.

2. Lasting Legacy Creation
We will also invest our final chapter in transforming our website into a Knowledge and Learning Archive, ensuring that the expertise, tools, and lessons gained over the past decade continue to strengthen the sector long into the future.

A heartfelt thank you…

to our extraordinary staff and board members, past and present.
to the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and skills.
to our generous donors and partners.
to the many organisations who stood alongside us.

And above all, to the young people — the courageous individuals who shared their stories, trusted us to walk beside them, and taught us the meaning of resilience, hope, and imagination.