New youth opportunities to reconnect with communities
The UK government has announced a new £88 million package to expand opportunities for young people across England.
With concerns growing around digital isolation and lack of safe spaces for children and young people, the investment aims to boost after-school activities, strengthen youth clubs, and support uniformed youth organisations.
For the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector, this announcement is welcome. Much of the delivery of youth provision in our communities already relies on VCFSE organisations, whether that’s youth clubs, sports teams, arts projects, or uniformed groups like Scouts and Guides.
What the £88million will fund
Extracurricular programmes in schools: £22.5 million will be directed into up to 400 schools over the next three years, funding sports, arts, music, debating, volunteering, and outdoor activities. These programmes will often be delivered in partnership with community organisations, creating a direct role for local VCFSE groups to engage young people.
Youth infrastructure: Around £65.5 million will go into upgrading youth clubs, from new equipment and facilities to trained youth workers. Many of these spaces are run by local charities and community organisations, meaning VCFSE delivery will be critical to making these investments work on the ground.
Support for uniformed youth organisations: A further £7.5 million will go to the Uniformed Youth Fund, supporting Scouts, Guides, Volunteer Police Cadets and others. These groups are firmly rooted in the VCFSE sector, and this funding will enable them to reach more young people across communities.
This new investment acknowledges the vital role of grassroots organisations in helping young people to thrive, but it also raises important questions about how funding will be channelled. For impact to be maximised, VCFSE groups must be central partners so that local knowledge, trust, and expertise shape the programmes.
A step towards rebuilding youth services
The past decade has seen sharp cuts to youth provision, with youth work funding falling by 75 per cent and thousands of youth workers lost. The new £88 million package is a positive step, but local authorities must provide sustained investment and genuine partnership with the VCFSE sector will be needed to rebuild youth services in a way that lasts.