First wave of Young Futures Hubs launches to tackle youth crime and rebuild services

The first wave of ‘Young Futures Hubs’ has opened across England, marking a major step in the Government’s efforts to rebuild youth services and prevent young people from being drawn into crime.

The eight hubs, launched under the National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, are located in Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, County Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Tower Hamlets.

Designed as part of a planned national network of 50 hubs, the programme will bring together services spanning youth work, mental health, education, employment and crime prevention. The initiative targets areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour and knife crime, with a focus on early intervention and multi-agency support.

Young people aged 10 to 18, rising to 25 for those with SEND, will be able to access trusted adults, wellbeing support, careers advice and activities such as sport, arts and volunteering. The hubs are intended to provide safe, welcoming spaces while helping to divert young people away from crime and social isolation.

Lisa Nandy said the programme responds to a decade of declining provision: “The closure of over a thousand 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.”

She added: “These hubs are about more than bricks and mortar, they’re a statement that this government believes in young people and is investing in their futures.” Emphasising the integrated approach, she said: “What makes them different is that we’re joining things up - wellbeing support, crime prevention, work coaches, youth services, all in one place.”

The rollout comes alongside the Government’s wider ambition to halve knife crime within a decade through its “Protecting Lives, Building Hope” plan. The strategy combines prevention, early intervention and enforcement, including support for those at risk and action to tackle perpetrators.

Sarah Jones highlighted the human impact of violent crime: “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.” She added: “We will roll out Young Futures Hubs in crime hotspots across the country to divert young people from violence, cut crime and protect communities.”

In some areas, the hubs will work alongside new multi-agency Young Futures Panels, bringing together police, children’s services, schools and community organisations to identify vulnerable children earlier and connect them with appropriate support.

The programme forms part of a wider £500 million investment in youth services over the next decade, including £70 million to establish the hubs themselves. It also responds to a sharp decline in provision, with local authority spending on youth services falling by 73% since 2010 and more than 1,000 council-run centres closing.

Stephanie Peacock said the strategy had been shaped by young people’s voices: “When this Government developed the National Youth Strategy, we listened to over 14,000 young people from across the country. What came through clearly was that they wanted somewhere to go, something to do, and someone who cares.”

She added: “Young Futures Hubs are part our response to this and we are delighted to see the first eight up and running.” Describing their purpose, she said: “Hubs are places where young people can belong, with trusted adults and positive activities all under one roof.”

Local delivery models vary, with hubs building on existing provision and, in some cases, operating across multiple sites. Examples include a networked approach in Manchester and community-based models in cities such as Bristol and Leeds, where services are linked to outreach in neighbourhoods and schools.

Each hub has been co-designed with young people to reflect local needs and priorities, with the aim of creating spaces that foster connection, belonging and opportunity.

The Government says the programme will play a key role in ensuring vulnerable children are identified earlier and supported more effectively—an ambition that aligns closely with social work priorities around prevention, safeguarding and multi-agency collaboration.