About us

The Enthusiasm Trust began in 1992 in response to a need in the Allenton and Osmaston area of Derby. A local social entrepreneur and other local residents initiated a Friday night youth club which attracted a large number of young people and had a positive impact on their lives. From these beginnings, the Enthusiasm Trust expanded and developed and in March 2001 became a registered charity (No. 1087438). We have continued with the core values of local people wanting to make a difference and have developed a unique approach to youth work by recruiting and developing local young people to become mentors to others in their peer group. This approach provides stronger foundations in local communities and promotes change from within to help to regenerate the areas where we work.

Each year there are many youth projects set up, each with a purpose, a mission with well-meaning individuals and a budget. Each year an equal number fail or are disbanded with the youth not helped or care withdrawn and the budget spent. There are other organisations that spend huge amounts of money and employ fully qualified individuals but only superficially reach a handful of our most needy young people.

Our programmes work on changing the lives of young people. Enthusiasm has developed strong partnerships with local agencies to fully support young people from the local community. We believe passionately that every young person has the right to fulfil their full potential, regardless of what they have previously done, or what has been done to them. This passion forms the ethos of Enthusiasm and everything we do centres around the often complex and diverse needs of local young people.