In the Welsh seaside resort of Rhyl, a £20 million investment and a fresh approach to building job skills are bringing new opportunities for under-25s. The town has already seen a fall in offending and drug use, thanks to initiatives like Project Renew, a year-long crackdown on gang activity and drugs.
Challenges Facing Young People
Sienna, 19, a gifted athlete whose basketball injury required major surgery, has seen her education and job prospects affected. She and her friend Jake, 26, describe the town's struggles, including 'Crackhead Circle,' a small public garden behind the town hall where drug use is visible. Rhyl West has topped deprivation tables in Wales for decades, with a crime rate of 197 per 1,000 people—2.5 times the Welsh average—and a violent crime rate of 88 per 1,000, more than double the average.
Young people in Rhyl often leave school to find few job opportunities and unaffordable housing. Sienna notes that her friends with jobs work part-time in shops, deliveries, or tourism, and few can afford to move out of their parents' homes. She has a fiancé in Northern Ireland but lacks the funds to visit often.
Signs of Change
Project Renew has reduced crime by 14% year-on-year, and there is less visible drug use. The promenade has been renovated, and the Queen's Market food hall, waterpark, and cinema have been revamped. A neighbourhood board, Our Rhyl, has been formed to allocate £20 million from the government's Pride in Place funding, Labour's answer to the Conservatives' levelling up strategy. The proviso is that local people, the MP, the council, businesses, and community organisations work together on spending.
Gill German, MP for Clwyd North, emphasises involving young people in decision-making. The youth service consulted 600 young people, who felt the beach was for tourists, not them. Researchers from University College London's Coastal Youth Life Chances project recommend including young people in planning.
Employment Initiatives
Working Denbighshire, a local employment service, consolidated funding streams in 2017 to coordinate services. In 2021, Project Barod (Welsh for 'ready') launched, offering one-to-one mentoring, workshops in confidence-building, cooking, beach clean-ups, and classes in reading, writing, and maths. Participants can access subsidised work experience and support to retain jobs or retrain.
In the first half of the 2025-26 financial year, 163 people entered education or training after support from Working Denbighshire, exceeding the target of 70 by 233%. Of those, 38% were aged 16-24, the largest demographic.
Success Stories
Luke, 19, who disliked school and quit a job at a clothes shop, was referred to Barod by the jobcentre. The programme helped him study for a roofing qualification and find an apprenticeship. 'I never imagined I would be doing this,' he says. 'Eventually, I want to run my own business.'
Florence, 25, attends Barod workshops to build confidence. Health issues delayed her university plans, but she aims to study cognitive science. 'Making something or learning something new gives me a sense of accomplishment,' she says.
Remaining Gaps
Despite successes, some young people still fall through the cracks. Jay McGuinness, a social worker at Rhyl Youth Boxing Club, walks the town centre to engage with youth. 'We're a non-profit, not run by the council, and it's tough with short-term funding,' he says. 'That lack of certainty makes it harder because the young people can't rely on us.'
Sienna, who finds sparring at the gym the highlight of her week, is now considering training as a youth or social worker. 'I don't think about the future too much,' she says. 'It's one step at a time.'
