What About the Boys? 2025 is a conference for frontline workers, youth practitioners, educators, and allied professionals to explore the experiences and challenges facing boys and young men today.
This year’s event will bring together national speakers, inspiring case studies, and lived experience to spark honest conversations about masculinity, identity, and wellbeing. Attendees will take away practical tools, resources, and approaches to strengthen their work with young men in schools, youth settings, and communities.
Alongside keynote sessions, a range of interactive workshops will provide space to reflect, learn, and collaborate. The day also features an exhibition space where organisations showcase resources and create new opportunities for partnership and shared action.
When: 19th November 2025
Location: Village Hotel Blackpool
This conference is designed for:
- Frontline workers and youth workers
- Teachers and educators
- Police and community safety teams
- Local authority staff
- Organisations working with young people
- Allied workforce professionals invested in the well-being of young men on the Fylde Coast
- Businesses who want to invest in young people and support a local workforce
Supported by
Watch what happened in 2024...
About this event
Now in its seventh year, What About the Boys? continues to grow as a dynamic platform for shaping change. Building on the success of the 2024 conference, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback from delegates, the 2025 event will once again be co-designed with young men to ensure their voices remain at the heart of the day.
The focus this year responds directly to issues raised by young people and practitioners, including mental health, identity, crime, online harms, and the need for stronger male role models. In the wake of ongoing social challenges, the conference will explore how professionals can work together to prevent harm, reduce stigma, and create environments where young men feel supported, valued, and heard.
Through interactive workshops covering themes such as consent and misogyny, racism, neurodiversity, chemsex, and the impact of social media – delegates will gain practical insights to take back into classrooms, youth work, and frontline practice.
What About the Boys? 2025 will conclude with a collective Call to Action, setting out clear strategies for change to support boys and young men across the Fylde Coast and beyond.
Key themes explored will include: Mental Health, Lack of Support Services, Creative Outlets, Education & Learning Opportunities, Exposure & Opportunities, Positive Male Role Models, Expectations & Stereotypes, Crime, Social Media, Sports & Wellbeing.
Meet the guest speakers
Ben Robinson is the Regional Manager for the North at the CSJ Foundation, where he works alongside outstanding grassroots charities and social enterprises to ensure that local voices and experiences shape the national conversation in Westminster.
The CSJ (Centre for Social Justice) is a Westminster-based think tank dedicated to connecting the backstreets of Britain with the corridors of power. In 2025, the CSJ launched its Lost Boys project - a major initiative exploring the barriers faced by young men across Britain and the solutions needed to overcome them. Driven by the CSJ’s Alliance of over 800 charities supporting society’s most vulnerable, Lost Boys covers themes such as education, family, health, criminal justice, work, and the power of mentoring, aiming to put the needs of young men firmly on the policy agenda.
Dr Emma Davidson is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Qualitative Research Methods at the University of Edinburgh. Her work explores the social infrastructures that support community belonging, with a particular focus on young people and the spaces that shape their lives. She is a founding member of the Scottish Healthy Masculinities Alliance, a coalition working to foster positive change for boys and young men in Scotland.
Emma’s recent research has captured the long-term impact of youth work by gathering the stories and insights of young people, highlighting the lasting value of these experiences. As Co-Director of the Binks Hub and the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, she champions community-led and co-creative approaches that generate real-world impact and bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance understanding of relationships and wellbeing.
With over 30 years’ experience in the charity sector, Vicki Ridley has led organisations from the ground up and driven transformative change in community-based and youth work settings. Now working in public health at YouthLink Scotland, she specialises in violence prevention and pioneering approaches to positive masculinity.
Vicki is a founding member of the Scottish Healthy Masculinities Alliance and currently leads the Imagine a Man programme — an initiative exploring Brave Spaces, intergenerational stories, role models, and new possibilities for what masculinity can mean today. Her passion for this work began in Granton during the era of the Young Teams, where she built trust with boys and young men, creating spaces for reflection, growth, and the shifting of harmful narratives around violence.
Steve Walker is the founder of The Common Room and has been involved in youth work since 1992, working across the UK and Europe in a wide range of youth work and informal education settings. As both an academic and senior leader, he has worked alongside young people and communities to facilitate positive change and strengthen the role of community-based practice.
A significant milestone in Steve’s journey was stepping into a training role, enabling him to support generations of youth workers to develop their practice and champion the value of informal education. His ongoing passion for social justice drives his commitment to education and training as powerful vehicles for change within the sector.
More guest speakers to be announced soon 🎉
Workshops
Our What About the Boys? conference features a series of interactive workshops designed to tackle the key challenges facing boys and young men today. Each session is led by experienced practitioners and experts, offering practical tools, fresh insights, and space for honest discussion.
From exploring consent, misogyny and pornography, to understanding racism, neurodiversity, chemsex, and the impact of social media on violence, these workshops provide frontline workers, educators, and youth practitioners with approaches they can take directly into their practice. Together, they ensure a comprehensive, collaborative response to supporting young men in our communities.
Workshop: Consent, Misogyny and Porn*
Delivered by Vanessa Rogers
Online pornography and sexualised imagery are more accessible than ever, shaping how young people view relationships, consent, and gender roles. This workshop explores the influence of online content, the rise of online misogyny, and how these impact young men’s attitudes. Through practical strategies, participants will learn how to engage boys in non-judgemental conversations, helping them critically evaluate media and develop healthier, more respectful understandings of intimacy and consent.
(Trigger warning: this session discusses pornography and misogyny – no explicit content will be shown.)
Vanessa Rogers
Workshop Host
Workshop: The impact of racism on Black and Brown Young Men: How Black Young Men lose their smile
Delivered by Niall McNulty, Anti Racist Cumbria
This workshop unpacks the realities of racism in the lives of Black and Brown young men. Rather than focusing on personal testimonies, it creates space for professionals to reflect on their own awareness, challenge perceptions, and explore what anti-racist practice looks like in real terms. The session invites honest discussion and equips participants with approaches to foster more inclusive, equitable environments for young people.
Niall McNulty
Anti Racist Cumbria
Workshop: Beyond the Label: Raising Awareness of ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia in Young Men
Delivered by Charlotte Gordon, Kip Education
Neurodiversity shows up in many ways in the lives of young men – yet stigma and misunderstanding often limit the support they receive. This interactive workshop challenges stereotypes around ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, and offers practical resources for schools and youth groups. Through group discussion and creative activities, participants will co-create strategies that help young men feel seen, supported, and understood, encouraging environments where difference is valued.
Charlotte Gordon
Kip Education
Workshop: Chemsex and Young People: Breaking Stigma, Building Support*
Delivered by Mike Downey, Renaissance
Chemsex (substance-enhanced sexual behaviour) is a sensitive and often stigmatised issue. This workshop highlights the barriers young people face when it comes to disclosure, access to care, and support. Using a trauma-informed and non-judgemental approach, participants will explore how to engage with and support young people who may be involved in, or vulnerable to, chemsex. The session offers practical ways to reduce stigma and improve pathways to care.
Mike Downey
Renaissance
Workshop: The Voice of the Child: Exploring Violence in the Age of Social Media
Delivered by Gess Aird, Kinetic Youth
Social media plays a huge role in shaping young people’s lives – including their experiences of violence and risk. This workshop gives space to hear directly from young people’s perspectives, exploring the links between online culture and serious youth violence. Participants will consider the importance of amplifying the voice of the child, and take away approaches for engaging young people in meaningful conversations about safety, identity, and resilience in a digital age.
Gess Aird
Kinetic Youth
*Delegates are required to choose between workshop ‘Consent, Misogyny and Porn’ and ‘Chemsex and Young People: Breaking Stigma, Building Support’. Delegates will attend all other workshops.
Highlights from Last Year’s Delegates
Buy Tickets Here
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FAQs
Who is this event for?
What About the Boys? is aimed at frontline workers, youth practitioners, teachers, police, community leaders, local authority staff, and allied professionals who work with or support boys and young men. Businesses interested in supporting local communities are also welcome.
Can young people attend?
This conference is designed for professionals and practitioners. Young people have been directly involved in shaping the content and workshops, and some will contribute through co-design and facilitation.
Do I need to book workshops in advance?
After registering, you’ll receive an email with a link to select your workshops. Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come basis, so completing the form early helps secure your preferred sessions.
What is the Marketplace of Ideas?
The Marketplace of Ideas is an exhibition space where organisations and projects showcase their work with boys and young men. It’s a chance to discover resources, learn about innovative approaches, and build partnerships.
What is the Call to Action?
At the end of the day, all delegates will contribute to a collective Call to Action – a strategy for change to improve support for boys and young men across the Fylde Coast and beyond. This is your opportunity to shape real solutions and next steps.
Will I receive resources or materials?
Yes. Many workshops provide practical tools and resources you can take back to your setting. Additional digital materials and summaries will be shared with delegates after the event.
Is lunch provided?
Yes, refreshments and lunch are included in your ticket price. Please indicate any dietary requirements when booking.
Can I exhibit at the event?
A limited number of exhibition spaces are available in the Marketplace of Ideas. Please contact United Youth Alliance for details or register your interest here.
Where is the event taking place?
The conference will be held at the Village Hotel, Blackpool, with easy access by road and public transport. Full joining instructions will be provided after booking.
Exhibitor Opportunities at What About The Boys?
Join us as an exhibitor at the What About The Boys? conference, where you’ll have the chance to showcase your resources, services, and tools to a targeted audience of educators, frontline workers, and community leaders.