McDonald’s UK and BBC Children in Need will be working together to reach up to one million children and young people, empowering them to reach their full potential. The partnership will strengthen connections in communities across the UK to support children and young people facing disadvantage and enable them to reach their full potential.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, issues affecting children and young people have deepened or developed, increasing the need for support to address a range of issues, including the impact of sustained isolation on emotional wellbeing and mental health, increased financial uncertainty and inequality of opportunities.

One of the UK’s biggest employers of young people, McDonald’s will fundraise together with its Franchisees, customers and employees, a minimum of £10 million over the next five years to enable BBC Children in Need to fund more youth work projects and youth workers, improving the outcomes for up to 100,000 young people in communities across the UK at a time when it is needed most.

Youth work provides vital support to young people facing disadvantage through supportive relationships with trusted adults that help them develop skills, resilience, confidence and wellbeing for a positive future. Thanks to the generosity of the British public, BBC Children in Need is the largest independent funder of youth work in the UK, currently funding over 700 youth work projects to a value of £49m, but with children and young people facing rising and complex challenges, the need for this support is growing and more critical than ever.