'Youth work has a vital role in helping to get our country back on track'
As part of the National Youth Strategy, the Government has announced the launch of Young Futures Hubs, which will act as a base for youth workers and other professionals, who will support young people at risk of harm, while offering career development guidance.
By March 2026 the hubs will be operational in:
Birmingham, Leeds,Manchester, County Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Tower Hamlets and Brighton and Hove.
Since 2010 the UK wide youth work sector has experienced massive losses and as the YMCA, the National Youth Agency, the Youth Work Unit and Unison have pointed out, local government funding was cut by around 70/73% which equates to £1.2 billion, resulting in 1,000 youth centres closing and in excess of 4,500 youth worker jobs lost, along with a devastating decline in the pipeline for new youth workers, all leaving millions of young people without vital support, crucial for wellbeing, skill acquisition, socialisation and positive engagement, and a wide range of additional development opportunities.
Millions of young people particularly from under resourced and underserved areas and communities have been missing out on viral support and access to quality youth services, contributing to issues like poor mental health, exclusion, and being Not in Education or Training (‘NEET’).
It is proposed that by 2035, 500,000 young people will be paired with youth work professionals to help them develop connections and stay safe on line.
This new youth programme will spend £500m on youth services in England, to “ revive the "decimated” youth work sector and the funding allocation will be utilised for work with children and young people aged 10 to 21 years of age with flexibility to support Disabled young people up to age 25.
In response to the announcement 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".
Youth provisions whilst welcoming the investment have identified that the funding falls short of what’s needed to meet need and to replace the losses incurred since 2010.
The Local Government Association have said that the initiative needs to be "backed with support for the workforce".