The Young Communist League (YCL) is the independent youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain, with its own branches, magazine, structures and finances.
We follow the Communist Party programme Britain’s Road to Socialism while developing and fighting for our own policies and priorities based on the needs of Britain’s young workers and students. We build support for the Communist Party programme amongst the young people of England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, as well as the socialist daily, the Morning Star.
Our magazine Challenge is the journal of the YCL since 1935, now in the 21st century with a new website, podcast and TV channel.
Challenge is the voice of Britain’s young Communists providing the news and views of the YCL, in addition to the perspectives and culture of Britain’s young workers and students.
We print contributions on working class culture and history and reviews and reports on the different campaigns and struggles taking place in Britain and the rest of the world.
The YCL is also part of the international Communist youth movement as well as the World Federation of Democratic Youth, founded in London on 10 November 1945 with delegates representing over 30 million young people who pledged to build international unity and friendship.
WFDY brings together youth organisations from around the world to fight for international cooperation, peace and social and economic progress, and against war and imperialist interference and aggression, and holds the World Festival of Youth and Students every four years.
In each corner of Britain, our members and local branches are building a broad democratic mass movement that will transform Britain, based in the labour and progressive movements and on the interests of Britain’s young workers and students.
Our members are active in broad campaigns, trade unions, community, student, tenants unions and other organisations. We also campaign on the street, in demonstrations and organise cultural and social activities.
Some examples of our exciting campaign work include:• COVID aid work and campaigning to protect our jobs, livingconditions and public health during the pandemic, • Supporting food banks and campaigning against food poverty and homelessness in our communities, • Organising in tenants and trade unions and at work and school to fight for young workers’ and students’ interests,• Protesting against police violence and racism,• And public meetings on all the issues that affect Britain’s youth, as well as film screenings, social events, our annual summer camp and much much more.
As a member organisation of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, we take part in international campaigns and solidarity brigades to other nations in support of their young people, in addition to leading our own international solidarity work here in Britain.
Follow our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to see what is happening where you are!
We are a democratic organisation for people under 30 years old with branches and members in each corner of Britain, in the cities and regions, in England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.
We are part and parcel of the mass movement, working to broaden and strengthen the labour and progressive movements and the struggles of Britain’s youth.
We are an internationalist organisation, working with youth movements from around the world to fight for social and economic progress, and against war and imperialism.
We are the political organisation for a new generation of socialist feminist youth, uniting the entire working class in the struggle against the continuing oppression of women.
We aim to end capitalism, not to mend it, with the establishment of Socialism, with equality, democratic rightsand social and economic progress for all.
Like the Communist Party, we are real socialists and Communists, the organisation for Britain’s young workers and students to organise, campaign and transform Britain.
The YCL has a long and proud history since we were founded in Birmingham in 1921, and an even brighter future ahead of us, and there is a place for you too.