Golddigger Trust is celebrating 20 years of supporting young people in Sheffield. We caught up with CEO Beth Stout at The Refinery, their bold new wellbeing space in the city centre, to find out how the charity has grown from grassroots beginnings into one of the region's most impactful youth organisations.
Can you tell us how Golddigger Trust began?
It started in 2005, when three women with backgrounds in youth work and music met during antenatal classes. They didn’t know each other beforehand but shared a passion for supporting young women. Sheffield had one of the highest teen pregnancy and abortion rates in the UK at that point, and there were no real conversations happening about things like consent or self-worth. So they created a space for girls to ask questions like, "Who do I want to be?" rather than, "Who does society expect me to be?"
What was your journey to getting involved?
I moved to Sheffield in 2009. I’d been working in youth work in Liverpool but saw what Golddigger was doing and just thought: I need to be a part of this. There wasn’t a salary at the time, but I came anyway. I worked part-time jobs to pay the bills while helping grow the charity.
How did the charity evolve over the years?
Initially, we ran courses in schools and youth groups. Then around 2010, social workers started coming to us with young people who had experienced abuse or exploitation. At the time, you had to be on a six-month waiting list just to access help. So we said: give us the files. We read every one and started supporting those young people one by one. It wasn’t about fixing them. It was about helping them realise they were worth caring about.
You also created a programme for boys. How did that come about?
That grew from one of the girls we were working with. She’d experienced abuse and had a distorted idea of what love meant, believing intimacy was the only way to feel wanted. When she started a relationship with a boy who didn’t pressure her, she pushed him to have sex because she didn’t think it was real love otherwise. That made us realise we needed to support both sides of the relationship. So, we launched Made of More, a boys’ programme that explores identity, consent and emotional health.
Mental health is a huge focus of yours now. Why did you move into that space?
Schools started telling us they didn’t know how to handle things like self-harm. They were afraid to even ask the question in case they didn’t have an answer. So we developed new programmes that helped young people understand their emotions and build healthier coping strategies. For three years, we were even embedded in the A&E department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital to support young people in crisis.
Tell us about The Refinery.
This is our new home. We used to be based on Salter Lane but outgrew the space. The Refinery is 7,000 square feet and includes a café, yoga studio, art rooms, counselling spaces and an escape-room-style resilience training area called The Core. It’s designed to be a wellbeing hub for young people – a bit like a gym, but for your mental health. You don’t have to be in crisis to come here. We want to create a space where young people feel safe, valued and equipped to thrive.
What guides the work you do?
Everything is based on our theory of change: Value, Tools, Understanding and Courage. First, we help young people realise they matter. Then we equip them with tools and skills, help them understand why they feel the way they do, and encourage them to take the next brave step. That might be coming to a yoga session, opening up in a group, or simply walking through our door.
How can local businesses or readers support what you do?
We’re always looking for partners. Businesses can sponsor sessions, hire our space, or get involved through CSR initiatives. We’d love to host more community and networking events here too. And of course, donations always help. But just talking about us, sharing our story, that goes a long way too.
Web: www.golddiggertrust.co.uk
Social: @golddiggertrust
Phone: 0114 327 1191
Email: info@golddiggertrust.co.uk
