I've had a lot of positive comments on the music I play on Folk Radio UK from young people and I'm in my thirties. What's nice is they tend to go for the Traditional stuff. Playing Spiers and Boden got a very exciting response from a few 17-19 year olds. I play a wide range of Celtic and British Folk and based on comments etc. I'd say that there's a growing number of "younger people" getting into Trad Folk, but hasn't that always been the case?

A lot of Contemp/Alt-folk groups like some of the artists on the Fence Collective take their inspiration from Trad Folk like the Watersons etc. In fact James Yorkston raved about Norma Waterson in one interview as being a major influence on his work.

Also, at the Two Rivers Festival I noticed there was a lot of young people in the Border Morris groups as well.

I don't think there is problem "attracting" young people to this music and they are quite capable of finding that music.