Today the Secretary of State for DCMS has confirmed several updates relating to the youth sector including launching the first phase of the new Youth Strategy and confirmation on some funding proposals, as well as a youth transformation pilot for local councils.
Key elements of SoS Lisa Nandy’s ministerial announcement include:
- DCMS are today kicking off national conversation with young people, led by and for young people. Nandy said she was ‘shocked’ to find there was no national strategy for young people and said it was something ‘personal to her’ citing her previous role at Centrepoint
- This will be taking the ‘conversation to towns, villages and cities’ – making sure young people are empowered at local, regional and national level so funding flows to things that matter to them. The engagement will feed into a report ‘Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Nation’ and in 2025, DCMS will then present a co-produced a national youth strategy “fit for the decade ahead” In line with new approach, DCMS is going to wind down the National Citizen Service from end of financial year; and wind down the National Citizen Service Trust when parliamentary time allows
- She said NCS had met the needs of the moment it was launched in 2011 and had played important role but noted that the world has since changed e.g. in 2011, 1 in 8 young people had a probable mental health problem and now it was over 1 in 5. She confirmed the chair of the NCS will be an advisor on strategy and ensure a good transition of learnings
- Nandy recognised that local authorities had seen youth funding fall and that presents significant challenges. Said for so many young people, it was local councils and Combined Authorities who were key to unlocking potential
- DMCS will now launch a youth transformation pilot in next financial year. This will be to support local councils to build back capacity and provide guidance and funding to improve youth offers and empower young people in every community.
- She also confirmed several funding announcements:
- Recognised urgent need for welcoming spaces that young people have a stake in – in next financial year, DCMS will allocate £85m of capital funding in places where most needed.
- This includes launching Better Youth Spaces Fund that will include £26m for youth centres equipment and refurbishment
- DCMS will also complete the Youth Investment Fund projects underway
- The department will ensure young people guide decisions when choosing the spaces that the department will support.
- She said that any buildings were not worth anything without the accompanying workforce – as DCMS develop strategy, will continue to recruit youth workers. From initial Youth Guarantee areas (DWP), the new Young Futures Hubs and local prevention partnerships (Home Office), she said the government was determined to break down barriers
- As confirmed in Budget, she reiterated commitment to expand the Creative Careers Programme and commitments to continue investment in multi-sports facilities
- Confirmed £100m from the next tranche of Dormant Assets funding will be used to support youth outcomes between 2024 and 2028. Further details are due in a Dormant Assets Strategy in due course.
- Concluded that throughout history, programmes that have made greatest difference were those that met the challenges of moment and were built to last e.g. Every Child Matters
Warning lights flashing over National Youth Strategy – UK Youth response