Enfield youth charity selected to help deliver international audio storytelling programme

Exodus Youth Worx will use the support to embed listening into its youth centre provision

Tara Hanna, founder of Exodus Youth Worx

An Enfield youth charity has been chosen as one of three in the UK to benefit from tens of thousands of pounds of support to “integrate audio storytelling” into their activities.

Exodus Youth Worx, alongside other UK youth charities Be Free Campaign and Victa, was selected to receive a share of an £80,000 funding programme called ‘Imagine Louder’ that has been made available by Audible, US tech giant Amazon’s audiobook and podcast service.

Exodus will use the money to embed listening into its youth centre provision, creating dedicated listening spaces, interactive workshops, and in-person sessions led by young leaders from the community.

Tara Hanna, the charity’s founder and chief executive, said: “Storytelling gives young people space to make sense of their experiences, discover new perspectives and recognise that their own voices matter.

“Through Imagine Louder, we’re excited to bring listening and creative storytelling into our programmes at Exodus Youth Worx UK, helping young people build confidence, connect with one another and share their stories on their own terms.”

Imagine Louder is a new global initiative designed to “fuel imagination, discovery and a love of listening among young people”. As well as supporting seven not-for-profit organisations across the UK, US and Mexico, it will provide free six-month Audible premium memberships to 15,000 young people across its first three years, offering access to more than 180,000 hours of audio content per membership, with plans to expand to additional countries in the coming years.

The UK launch follows a pilot with the National Literacy Trust, as part of Audible’s ongoing collaboration with the charity. In the pilot, which reached over 1,000 students across the country, every teacher surveyed reported that the programme encouraged students to listen to more audiobooks.

The approach addresses a clear challenge identified in the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 research, which found that reading enjoyment drops from 46.9% among children aged from eight to eleven years, to just 29.5% among those aged between eleven and 14.

Aisha Glover, global head of urban innovation at Audible, said: “The National Year of Reading has started an important conversation, and it should build a commitment that continues for years to come.

“If we want to build a lasting love of stories among young people, we need to think differently about how and where we reach them – particularly those who lack access and opportunity. Through Imagine Louder, we’re putting that belief into practice, bringing stories directly into the communities and spaces where young people already are.”

The three UK organisations will bring the model to different communities. Victa focuses exclusively on blind or partially sighted children and young adults, while Be Free Campaign is focused on early intervention mental health support for young people.

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