Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year. 

Sitting at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change, these hubs will help create opportunity for all and keep our streets safe. They will bring together vital local services in the local community, providing support ranging from well-being and mental health to careers advice. 

The hubs will help all teenagers thrive, in particular, those who face being dragged into criminal gangs or young people at risk of mental health challenges.

Backed by a £2m cash injection eight hubs will launch this year, targeted in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour and offer a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next four years.

The Prime Minister set out these plans while attending a summit hosted by His Majesty The King at St James’s Palace and attended by Idris Elba OBE to discuss youth opportunity. Members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, set up at Downing Street last year, also attended the event. 

The event was an opportunity to discuss what more must be done to offer community-led support to young people, in particular those who are vulnerable, stopping them from taking the wrong path.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“My government was elected on a pledge to tackle knife crime, and we have hit the ground running by banning dangerous weapons and bringing in laws to clamp down on illegal online sales. 

“We are determined to do more to prevent vulnerable young people from turning to violence in the first place and open greater opportunities. As part of the Plan for Change, we will open up Young Futures Hubs across to country to stop teenagers from being dragged into crime and find a better future.”  

To make sure young people get the help they need, before getting caught up in criminal activity, the Government will also pilot new multi-agency Prevention Partnership Panels to proactively identify and refer vulnerable teenagers – who may currently be falling through the net – to a range of different support services much earlier, including the Young Futures Hubs. More than twenty panels will be up and running in the coming months, across the areas of the country that collectively account for more than 80% knife crime, with many more to follow.

This is the latest measure taken by the government to cut knife crime and keep our streets safe, part of its Plan for Change. 

Since coming into office last year, the Government has brought forward the strongest controls on dangerous knives, implementing bans on zombie-style knives and ninja swords and announced plans to toughen up online sales, including sanctions for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms.

In September, the Prime Minister also launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, bringing together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders. 

The Prime Minister will reconvene this group later in the year to update on the progress the Government has made during its first year in office.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper:

“Knife crime devastates families and communities across the country, and too many young lives have already been lost. That’s why we’ve set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade and why we are working tirelessly with our coalition to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets. 

“We are bringing in some of the toughest measures to date, curbing access to weapons being sold online and getting them off the streets, but we also need to make sure that the right prevention structures are in place to stop young people being drawn into violent crime in the first place. 

“Today’s Youth Opportunities Summit is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when government, communities, and campaigners come together with a shared purpose.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

“Too many young people are being let down – left without the support they need when they should be building bright futures. Young Futures Hubs will help change that, providing mental health support, mentoring, careers guidance, and activities that help young people thrive, ensuring no one is left behind.

“This is our Plan for Change in action – clearing barriers to opportunity while creating safer streets. With our National Youth Strategy coming later this year, we’re putting young people back in the driving seat of their own futures, offering the support they deserve with the opportunities they need.”