New youth clubs for anti-social behaviour hotspots

The first wave of youth clubs aimed at giving young people support with jobs and wellbeing are set to open across England.

Eight young futures hubs will open in areas with high anti-social behaviour, including Bristol, Nottingham and Leeds.

The centres will aim to help young people aged up to 18 with employment advice, health and wellbeing and prevent them from falling into a life of crime.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the hubs were "about more than bricks and mortar" and showed the government "believes in young people and is investing in their futures".

Nandy said: "The closure of over 1,000 youth centres since 2010 didn't just take away facilities, it took away community, connection and opportunity for a generation. We are determined to rebuild that.

"What makes them different is that we're joining things up – wellbeing support, crime prevention, work coaches, youth services, all in one place."

"We're making sure teenagers have somewhere to go, someone to talk to and a real chance to thrive," Nandy added.

While a total of 50 centres will eventually be opened across the country, the first wave also includes:

• Birmingham
• Brighton and Hove
• County Durham
• Manchester
• Tower Hamlets

Young people aged between 10 and 18, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25, will also be able to access services at the youth centres.

It comes as the government is due to launch its crackdown on knife crime.

Ministers hope to halve knife crime over the next 10 years as part of a plan called Protecting Lives, Building Hope.

A £1.2m investment is planned to provide specialist training in schools most affected by knife crime, fund measures such as mentoring for high-risk students, and the deployment of chaperones on school routes.

Sarah Jones, the policing minister, said: "Knife crime devastates lives.

"Behind every statistic is a child who didn't make it home, a family whose world has been shattered, and a community left with fear. This Government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities.

"We will roll out young futures hubs in crime hotspots across the country to divert young people from violence, cut crime and protect communities."

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