Southeastern Future Tracks
Future Tracks
Trauma-informed mentoring that helped young people at risk find their route back to education, employment and a safer journey on the railway.
Sustained support, not a one-off intervention
The Youth Unity Future Tracks programme, funded through Southeastern's Customer and Community Improvement Fund in 2025, provided intensive, trauma-informed one-to-one mentoring for young people aged 11–18 who were identified as at risk of anti-social behaviour, serious youth violence, or exploitation linked to the rail network.
Moving beyond short-term interventions, the project delivered sustained, relationship-based mentoring combined with accredited employability training, wellbeing support and clear progression routes — supporting young people back into education, employment and training.
Through strong partnerships with safeguarding teams, schools and local authorities, the programme demonstrated measurable social impact: reducing vulnerability, increasing engagement, and building safer, more confident young passengers across Southeastern's network.
From at-risk to on track
Identifying young people at risk
Young people aged 11–18 flagged as at risk of anti-social behaviour, serious youth violence or exploitation connected to the railway.
Trauma-informed one-to-one support
Sustained, relationship-based mentoring that built trust over time — meeting each young person where they were.
Accreditation & wellbeing
Accredited employability training and wellbeing support that built real confidence and capability.
Routes into education, employment & training
Clear next steps so progress continued well beyond the programme itself.
Confident young passengers
Reduced vulnerability and safer, more confident young people travelling across the network.
10 Tips to Stay Safe Travelling on Public Transport
Responding to a serious train incident in Cambridgeshire, Future Tracks participants co-designed a proactive safety campaign — creating their own messaging and visual materials to encourage confident reporting, safer travel behaviours and peer-to-peer awareness across stations, schools and social media.
On Track to Opportunity
In June 2026 we joined Southeastern and the Purpose Coalition at the House of Commons for the launch of On Track to Opportunity — Southeastern's Social Mobility Impact Report 2026.
Future Tracks was featured as a case study in the report, recognised for the measurable difference it made to young people's safety, confidence and life chances.
Delivered hand-in-hand with Southeastern
Future Tracks was shaped and delivered in close partnership with Southeastern's safeguarding team, ensuring support reached the young people who needed it most and connected directly to safety across the rail network.
Worried about a young person?
While Future Tracks has now concluded, Youth Unity is still here to help. We offer guidance, support, positive opportunities and a safe place to build a better future for vulnerable young people.
You can refer a young person, or they can self-refer, in just a few minutes.