Government unveils ambitious plan to tackle youth isolation crisis and deliver real life opportunities

• Ambitious 10-year plan to give 500,000 more young people access to a trusted adult outside their home and equip them with skills to boost their resilience and stay safe online
• National Youth Strategy to deliver up to 250 new or refurbished youth centres, 50 Young Futures Hubs, and new support for youth workers, backed by over £500 million of investment

Young people across England will benefit from over £500 million of government investment as the first National Youth Strategy in 15 years is published today, setting out an ambitious delivery plan to rebuild youth services over the next decade. 

‘Youth Matters’ has been co-produced with more than 14,000 young people across England through a landmark ‘State of the Nation’ survey. It represents a fundamental shift in how the government will support young people over the next decade – turning the tide from isolation online, to real life connections. 

Local government spending on youth services fell by 73% between 2010/11 and 2022/23, with more than 1,000 youth centres closing and over 4,500 youth worker roles being lost. The Prime Minister has spoken of young people being “collateral damage” over the past decade and how this must be turned around, with the government investing in the potential of young people – offering them the chance for real life connections to support their talent and potential. 

A centrepiece of the National Youth Strategy centres around additional investment to transform youth services.

The government is committing over £500 million of new funding, which will:

• Build or refurbish up to 250 youth facilities over the next four years, as well as providing equipment for activities to around 2500 youth organisations, through a new £350 million ‘Better Youth Spaces’ programme. It will provide safe and welcoming spaces, offering young people somewhere to go, something meaningful to do, and someone who cares about their wellbeing.
• Launch a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs by March 2029 as part of a local transformation programme of  £70 million, providing access to youth workers and other professionals, supporting their wellbeing and career development and preventing them from harm.
• The first eight hubs to be operational by March 2026 are in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, County Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Tower Hamlets, and Brighton and Hove.
• Support organisations in underserved areas to deliver high-quality youth work and activities through a ‘Richer Young Lives Fund’ worth over £60 million.
• Boost young people’s wellbeing, personal development, and essential life skills through a new £22.5 million programme of support around the school day in up to 400 schools.
• Recruit and train youth workers, volunteers and other trusted adults with £15 million of investment. 
• Strengthen youth services through £5 million to improve local partnerships, better information sharing, and digital infrastructure, ensuring young people receive high-quality, safe, and effective support in their communities.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said:

“As a dad and as Prime Minister, I believe it is our generation’s greatest responsibility to turn the tide on the lost decade of young kids left as collateral damage. It is our moral mission. 

“Today, my government sets out a clear, ambitious and deliverable plan – investing in the next generation so that every child has the chance to see their talents take them as far as their ability can.” 

“That is also why we will ensure that if you choose an apprenticeship, you will have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else, as we get two-thirds of young people in higher-level learning or apprenticeships.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy 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.

“Young people are the most digitally connected but also the most isolated in generations with many wanting more meaningful real life connections. Young people have been crystal clear in speaking up in our consultation: they need support for their mental health, spaces to meet with people in their communities and real opportunities to thrive. We will give them what they want. Today’s National Youth Strategy puts young people at the heart of decision-making and begins to rebuild the youth services that were decimated over the past decade.

“From Young Futures Hubs in local communities to hundreds of millions of pounds invested in youth facilities to transforming the services that support them – we will give young people somewhere to go, something meaningful to do, and someone who cares about their wellbeing. They have spoken – now we’re delivering for them.”

Over the next decade this strategy will also reverse the decline in local government spending with plans for: 

• Half a million more young people to be given access to a trusted adult outside their home, helping equip them with essential skills, such as resilience or how to manage their online safety, to help them transition to adulthood and adapt to a digital world. 
• The government aims to halve the gap in who gets to do meaningful activities between richer and poorer families. This covers after school activities, as well as those in the evenings, weekends and holidays
• It delivers on key government missions within the Plan for Change: spreading opportunities, making streets safer and taking pressure off the NHS.

What young people said

The measures respond directly to the landmark ‘State of the Nation’ survey commissioned by the Culture Secretary, and published alongside the strategy today. It sets out the reality of what it is like to grow up in England in 2025, painting a vivid picture of their experiences growing up in a world shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis, an always-on digital world, and ongoing global uncertainty.

It reveals stark concerns from young people about a lack of mental health support, growing social isolation and an absence of youth services in their communities. 

While young people today are the most digitally connected generation, the report highlights that they face unprecedented levels of isolation, among the highest globally. They want more opportunities to connect in person safe spaces to go to, better mental health support, guidance for their education and careers, greater access to enriching activities and opportunities, and tools to engage positively online and offline. 

Building on recent investment

The National Youth Strategy marks the start of a decade of sustained investment in young people, building on:

• The Culture Secretary’s ‘Every Child Can’ commitment, backed by £132.5 million from the Dormant Assets scheme in June. 
• The Department for Work and Pensions’ £820 million funding package announced this week to support young people across Great Britain into employment and training, creating almost 300,000 more skills and training opportunities for young people on Universal Credit, and a £725 million package of reforms to the apprenticeship system to help tackle youth unemployment and drive economic growth, with thousands more young people expected to benefit over the next three years.
• In September the Prime Minister set bold new targets for apprenticeships of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning – academic, technical or apprenticeships – by age 25, up from 50%.
• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently announced over £400 million will be invested in new and upgraded local community sport facilities over the next four years, plus Sport England’s £250 million investment in youth sport and physical activity.

Sector Reaction

Eddie Playfair, Senior Policy Manager, Association of Colleges, said:

“Colleges will welcome the government’s youth strategy and  planned investment in youth services which, after many years of neglect, is long overdue.

“Over 60% of all 16 to 18-year-olds in publicly-funded education attend colleges and the sector has been calling for more investment in youth support and development.

“We are making the case that youth futures hubs and facilities for young people should include colleges as key locations where young people feel safe and supported. With some additional resources, colleges can contribute to a better offer for young people in their communities and we aim to work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to make this a reality across England.

“Young people need opportunities to develop their skills and contribute to society and the economy, and for the majority of 16 to 18-year-olds, their college will be the ideal setting for a range of positive and constructive activity.”