Holiday programme for London young people begins

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has launched a new £6 million programme to provide holiday activities and opportunities for young people at greatest risk of exploitation and violence, which begins this summer.

The programme will provide young people at greatest disadvantage with something to do, something to aspire to, and something to eat.

Sadiq is committed to investing in and providing a helping hand for young people during the summer when evidence shows without the safety and security of school, and free school meals, they are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence. 

Key to his ambition of supporting young people is Holiday Hope, which will deliver positive activities over the summer and school holidays to keep children and young people safe, combined with access to skills and routes into training and employment. Every activity funded through the Mayor’s £6m investment will also come with food.

Holiday Hope is a key manifesto commitment that will directly contribute to the Mayor’s pledge to provide 250,000 young people with activities and positive opportunities during this term. 

Holiday Hope will bring together and strengthens activities delivered across the capital for young people in the greatest need of support. 

It builds on existing and effective delivery of summer holiday activities funded through London’s Violence Reduction Unit, the Mayor’s Fund for London, The Felix Project and wider City Hall delivery.

Increased funding through the Holiday Hope programme will bring delivery together through investment in more than 100 community organisations, increasing young people’s access to youth spaces, activities, opportunities, and food during the challenging holiday period.

This will be done by providing young people with access to youth clubs and hubs, and positive activities, including sport, music production, performing arts and dance. It brings together targeted diversionary work and positive opportunities to keep young people safe and supported throughout the summer.  

It will also give them something to aspire to through workshops and sessions to help young people gain the skills and experience needed into jobs, apprenticeships and what’s needed to succeed.