Forty-two new Young Futures Hubs will open across England to provide more support for young people.
The hubs will provide better access to mental health support, employment opportunities and crime prevention services and will help young people tackle some of the biggest challenges they face today, from poor mental health and unemployment, to serious violence.
The hubs will offer open access to sports, creative activities and trusted youth workers and will also bring together mental health support, skills and training, routes into employment, and crime prevention in the same place.
The offer will ensure that young people aged 10 to 18 (up to 25 for those with SEND) can receive seamless, holistic support without having to repeat their story to a different service every time they visit.
Eight early adopter hubs are already up and running and this announcement brings 42 more.
The programme is a key part of the government’s National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters. It was co-produced with 14,000 young people through the ‘State of the Nation’ survey, which found that many young people have been left without access to safe, supportive environments or a community to belong to, while reliance on online interaction has grown in the absence of face-to-face opportunities.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy said: "Last year we spoke to thousands of young people who told us that they needed somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to. That’s what these new Young Futures Hubs will give them. It is a symbol of this government wrapping their arms around young people, telling them we believe in their generation and that we know they can succeed."
Minister for Young People, Vicky Foxcroft said: "We need to do something different to ensure that young people are supported to thrive. By co-creating every Young Futures Hub and Transformation plan with young people, we are ensuring they are the architects of their own future.
"It was wonderful to see first-hand the difference the Manchester Young Futures Hub is already making. By backing local authorities and their partners to build services that work, we’re making sure that wherever you grow up in England, you have somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to."
