Five more North East districts are to get new Young Futures Hubs to give 10-18-year-olds – and up to 25 for those with SEND – better access to mental health support, employment opportunities and crime prevention services.
Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Northumberland, Redcar & Cleveland and South Tyneside follow County Durham on the latest list of local authority areas across England where the Hubs will be located.
Facing challenges
“Young Futures Hubs will help young people tackle some of the biggest challenges they face today, from poor mental health and unemployment to serious violence,” said the government.
“Alongside providing open access to sports, creative activities and trusted youth workers, each Hub will bring together mental health support, skills and training, routes into employment, and crime prevention. It will ensure that young people can receive seamless, holistic support without having to repeat their story to a different service every time they visit.”
The announcement by Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, confirms that local authorities in England will establish 42 new Hubs. This builds on the eight announced earlier, including County Durham.
Each would receive further support through the Local Youth Transformation programme to strengthen leadership, train their workforce and build lasting local partnerships to deliver high quality youth services in their area, said the government.
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National Youth Strategy
A survey for the government last year highlighted 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.
In response, added the government, the National Youth Strategy set out how young people would benefit from over £500mn of government investment, with an ambitious delivery plan to rebuild youth services over the next decade. The move was designed to hand power back to local communities and allow young people to design services around the skills and opportunities they needed to shape their futures.
Somewhere to go
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.”
*This report is based on a press release from the Department f0r Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
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