Social and Economic Impact Report

New socio-economic data tunes into the life changing value of music in primary schools

Young Voices children’s choir delivers a 6x investment return in local economic impact across four UK cities and a 33x social return

The 2023 Young Voices programme delivered £56.5 million in social value, generated by the 27 Young Voices shows in the UK in 2023. This is the equivalent of:

c.19,000 people achieving five good GCSE results

c.81,000 people going from physically inactive to physically active

£10 million: economic impact in turnover generated in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Sheffield in 2023 from the primary school children’s UK arena tour

The Voice UK winner, Ruti Olajugbagbe; musician and broadcaster YolanDa Brown OBE; AEG’s Emma Bownes; and Board Director of The Ivors Academy, Anna Phoebe, appointed Young Voices Foundation Ambassadors

Music stars Alexandra Burke, Gary Barlow, Katherine Jenkins, Katie Melua, Lemar and Tony Hadley have all taken to the stage with Young Voices choirs

More than two million children and one in four UK primary schools have participated in Young Voices shows

A report published by Young Voices, organisers of the world’s biggest children’s choir, provides tangible evidence that engaging the UK’s children in music at primary level delivers material social and economic value. The new data shows that investment in the inclusion of children under 11 in the Young Voices programme delivers an almost 6x return in local economic impact across the host cities of Birmingham, London, Manchester and Sheffield, as well as a more than 33x social return. As well as by the children and their families, the positive impact is felt by local businesses, communities, schools, teachers and carers, as well as the UK music industry which benefits from a healthy pipeline of future talent and fans.

Since its foundation in 1996, Young Voices has given more than two million children the opportunity to perform on the UK’s biggest stages, including Wembley’s OVO Arena. For 2024’s tour, the Young Voices choir will be joined by British drumming prodigy Nandi Bushell, whose brother Thomas sings in the choir, and educational rapper, MC Grammar. Record-breaking performances by the school children at London’s O2 arena have seen Young Voices presented with the prestigious keys to The O2, a rare honour awarded to mark the milestone of 21 performances at the venue. Only seven artists or performers have been inducted into the “21 Club”, including Prince, Drake, Take That, Michael McIntyre and Micky Flanagan. In 2022, The O2 named the ‘non-stage’ end of the arena ‘The Young Voices End’, with a plaque installed to commemorate the accolade.

YV Social and Economic Impact Report - full report