sturti / Getty ImagesThe government is set to spend £500m on youth services in England, saying the money is needed to revive the “decimated” sector.
Over the next four years, the government aims to build or refurbish 250 youth centres, as well as launch 50 new Young Future hubs, which Labour said in its manifesto would be sites bringing together existing services under one roof.
By 2035, half a million young people will also be paired with youth workers, volunteers and other trusted adults to help them stay safe online and develop connections.
The Conservatives said “the outlook for the next generation is increasingly bleak under Labour”, while the Liberal Democrats said “the government has got to do much more”.
The announcement is part of the government’s National Youth Strategy, aimed at rebuilding youth services over the next decade.
The £500m will mostly be spent on children and young people aged 10 to 21, but some aged up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities will also be supported.
Unveiling the plans, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said young people are “the most digitally connected but also the most isolated in generations”.
She said: “The challenges facing young people today are urgent and demand a major change in direction.
“For too long, youth policy has been an afterthought. This generation deserves better.”
The YMCA said youth services need “long-term investment to fully recover”.
A spokesperson added: “This is a good start at repairing the damage, but elements of this are only a fraction of what was lost.”
The Young Futures Hubs will be a base for youth workers and other professionals, who will support young people at risk of harm and offer career development guidance.
The first of the new hubs will be up and running by March 2026 in:
- Birmingham
- Leeds
- Manchester
- County Durham
- Nottingham
- Bristol
- Tower Hamlets
- Brighton and Hove.
Ministers say the revamped youth centres will offer visitors “somewhere to go, something meaningful to do, and someone who cares about their wellbeing”.
Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston welcomed “renewed investment”, but said Labour’s decision to scrap the National Citizen Service, part of the Big Society initiative launched by then-Prime Minister David Cameron, left more than a million young people without “valuable opportunities”.
Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson said the government must give children “access to the local services they deserve” and reform the “broken” special needs system.
“It cannot continue to kick the can down the road,” she said. “The future of thousands of vulnerable children is at stake.”
The Local Government Association welcomed the announcement but said it needed to be “backed with support for the workforce”.