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Celebrating a Decade of Youth Impact: WYFRS Youth Interventions Team Turns 10
2025 marks 10 years of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Youth Interventions Team, a milestone in delivering powerful, life-changing programmes for young people across the region.
Launched in 2015, the team was created to engage more meaningfully with young people - particularly those most at risk - and to support them in making safer choices, developing key life skills, and building brighter futures. It represented a major step change from the former Young Firefighters scheme, moving towards a model shaped around community need, personal development, and early intervention.
Today, Youth Interventions supports young people aged 8 to 25-year-olds - including those at risk of becoming involved in crime, facing educational challenges, or likely to use blue light services at some point in their lives. The team takes a trauma-informed, person-centred approach, reaching young people in schools, communities, and on WYFRS stations across all five West Yorkshire districts - Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield.
“The last 10 years have shown just how powerful early intervention can be,” said Claire Wright, WYFRS Youth Interventions and King’s Trust Manager.
“We’ve seen young people grow in confidence, find new direction, and build positive relationships with the fire service.
Having worked in every role within the team, I know how tough - but how rewarding - this work is. From delivering sessions during the pandemic to shaping new programmes around emerging risks, our team’s creativity and dedication is incredible. It’s a privilege to work with people who put young people at the centre of everything they do.”
Built for West Yorkshire, with West Yorkshire
The Youth Interventions Team has more than doubled in size since its launch, now consisting of a dedicated core team of 8, including 6 Youth Trainers, and supported by over 30 operational firefighters who help deliver practical, station-based sessions as positive role models.
The team also works in close partnership with The King’s Trust:
• They have delivered a total of 11 Team programmes supporting personal and career development, and
• Have a portfolio of four “Get Started” courses for 16-25-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (NEET), including Get Started with Boxing, Survival, Health and Fitness, and Emergency Response.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, WYFRS was one of only two fire services nationally to deliver King’s Trust programmes digitally, continuing to engage vulnerable young people at a critical time. Firesetter Interventions also moved online, ensuring those most in need didn’t miss vital early support.
More recently, the team have developed and delivered new programmes that address emerging risks, such as e-scooters, meet local and national agendas, and support WYFRS to fulfil their commitment as a Serious Violence Duty Holder.
The team works closely with a wide range of partners to extend their reach and impact - including the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership. Building strong, local relationships is also a key part of their success, and over the past decade, the team has forged meaningful connections with local councillors, youth workers, and community groups, ensuring that Youth Interventions are informed by local priorities and truly embedded in the communities they serve.
Ahead of their 10th birthday, the team’s commitment to improving the lives of young people was recognised by the Excellence in Fire and Emergency Services Team of the Year award in December 2024.
Sarah Laidlow-Moore, WYFRS Prevention Manager, added:
“It has been a real pleasure to work alongside the Youth Interventions Team throughout their first 10 years. They’ve consistently gone above and beyond to make West Yorkshire safer for our young people - and I’m excited to see where the next 10 years takes them.”
Scott Donegan, Operations Response Area Manager, said:
"The growth and impact of our Youth Interventions Team over the last decade is a testament to the dedication and passion of everyone involved. By providing early interventions and supporting young people in making safer choices, we're helping to reduce future risks and create positive pathways for them. I’m excited to continue supporting young people in our communities and building a safer, brighter future for all."
Looking ahead
From schools and fire stations to youth centres and digital platforms, the Youth Interventions Team continues to embed themselves in communities and meet young people where they are.
They’re not just reducing risk - they’re building trust, unlocking potential, and shaping futures.
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