The Government has launched a youth service support package backed by an £88m investment.
The Building Creative Futures package is designed to improve services such as youth clubs and extracurricular activities, with a view to ‘transform opportunities for young people’ in the UK and help them ‘re-connect’ with life beyond the digital world.
As part of the funding allocation, £8m will be invested into a ‘Local Youth Transformation pilot’, a scheme to assist councils with the resources to provide a ‘high-quality out-of-school offer’.
A further £30.5m will be targeted towards regions with the highest child poverty rates, supporting the enhancement of ‘youth club infrastructure’ and facilities like gym equipment, with an additional £22.2m being used to improve extracurricular activities in schools.
The Government has also confirmed that £7.5m of the funding will be allocated to groups such as guides, scouts and cadets, while £19m will be delivered alongside the The National Lottery Community Fund to help expand youth work hours.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: ‘We know that strong local youth services are the bedrock of thriving communities that give our young people safe spaces to learn, grow and reach their potential.’
For more on leisure centres, swimming pools and public health, download your free copy of GLL: Transforming Community Health and Wellbeing today.