Prime Minister launches new opportunities for young people to re-connect with their communities

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced a major expansion of youth services  aimed at re-connecting young people with the world around them.

Announcing a new £88 million package of support to transform opportunities for young people across the country, Mr Starmer indicated that his government is picking this challenge up and will be delivering ‘real-life solutions for the long-term’, investing in opportunities for young people.

The investment will allow youth clubs and schools to offer more opportunities for young people to get active and connect with others, while building their confidence and broadening their horizons and is made up of:

·         £22.5 million over three years to create a “tailored enrichment offer” in up to 400 schools, giving pupils access to extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering.

·         An £8mn Local Youth Transformation pilot is also planned for roll-out, to support local authorities to deliver a high-quality out-of-school offer, providing the tools, guidance and funding to assess, improve, and invest in impactful local youth offers.

·         In addition, the third phase of the Million Hours Fund, a £19 million joint investment with The National Lottery Community Fund, aims to deliver over a million additional hours of youth work in areas with high rates of anti-social behaviour.

The initiative builds on wider action through the Plan for Change to back young people’s futures, including by extending voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, announcing the £500 million Better Futures Fund for young people’s support services, and launching new guidance to protect young people from online harms.

Speaking at the initiative launch the Prime Minister said:

“Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities.

As a government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today’s investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.

Through our Plan for Change, we’re backing parents by not only protecting our young people online, but giving them the support and opportunities they deserve so no child falls through the cracks.”