The announcement made by Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, confirms that local authorities in England will establish 42 new hubs - including Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council.

Tens of thousands of young people across England will soon benefit from better access to mental health support, employment opportunities and crime prevention services - all working together to offer seamless support - as the government announces the expansion of its £70m Young Futures Hubs programme today.

Young Futures Hubs will help young people tackle some of the biggest challenges they face today, from poor mental health and unemployment, to serious violence.

A total of £70 million is being distributed by the UK Government to local authorities to establish Young Futures Hubs and deliver Local Youth Transformation projects between 2026/27 and 2028/29. Up to £125k of capital funding will be made available for each Young Futures Hub for light touch refurbishments and/or digital projects and up to to £300k will be made available per annum for each Young Futures Hub to operate.

Alongside providing open access to sports, creative activities and trusted youth workers, each hub will bring together mental health support, skills and training, routes into employment, and crime prevention. It will ensure that young people aged 10 to 18 (up to 25 for those with SEND) can receive seamless, holistic support without having to repeat their story to a different service every time they visit.

The announcement, made on Tuesday by Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, confirms that local authorities in England will establish 42 new hubs. This builds on the eight early adopter hubs already up and running - including Manchester.

They will each establish a Young Futures Hub, and receive further support through the Local Youth Transformation programme to strengthen leadership, train their workforce and build lasting local partnerships to deliver high quality youth services in their area.

The programme is a key part of the government’s National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, launched by Lisa Nandy in December 2025 and co-produced with 14,000 young people through a landmark ‘State of the Nation’ survey.

The survey highlighted that many young people have been left without access to safe, supportive environments or a community to belong to, while reliance on online interaction has grown in the absence of face-to-face opportunities. In response the National Youth Strategy set out how young people will benefit from over £500 million of government investment, with an ambitious delivery plan to rebuild youth services over the next decade. The move is designed to hand power back to local communities, and allow young people to design services around the skills and opportunities they need to shape their futures.

Last year we spoke to thousands of young people who told us that they needed somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to. That’s what these new Young Futures Hubs will give them. It is a symbol of this government wrapping their arms around young people, telling them we believe in their generation and that we know they can succeed.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy

To mark the announcement, new Minister for Young People Vicky Foxcroft visited the Manchester Young Futures Hub, operational since April 2026, which offers physical activity, informal education, mental health support, enterprise schemes and social activities across a network of local venues.

Minister for Young People, Vicky Foxcroft said: "We need to do something different to ensure that young people are supported to thrive. By co-creating every Young Futures Hub and Transformation plan with young people, we are ensuring they are the architects of their own future.

“It was wonderful to see first-hand the difference the Manchester Young Futures Hub is already making. By backing local authorities and their partners to build services that work, we’re making sure that wherever you grow up in England, you have somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to."

Further measures will be announced in the coming weeks, including as part of the government's response to the forthcoming review into young people and work, led by Alan Milburn.

The next Young Futures Hubs will be established in the following local authorities in England alongside. the existing eight ‘early adopter’ Hubs:

Barking and Dagenham
Barnsley
Blackpool
Bolton
Calderdale
Camden
Cornwall
Hackney
Isle of Wight
Kingston upon Hull, City of
Knowsley
Lancashire
Middlesbrough
Newcastle upon Tyne
Northumberland
Peterborough
Plymouth
Redcar and Cleveland
Rochdale
Salford
Sandwell
South Tyneside
Stoke-on-Trent
Torbay
Waltham Forest

Minister for Policing and Crime Sarah Jones said:

“Every young person deserves the chance to thrive, no matter where they grow up. Young Futures Hubs will bring together trusted adults, positive opportunities and vital support in one place, helping young people access the services they need, when they need them.

“By stepping in earlier and connecting young people with the right support, these hubs will help prevent vulnerable children from being drawn into crime, build confidence and skills, and give more young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

“They are a vital part of our plan to halve knife crime, helping ensure young people get the support they need before problems escalate and lives are put at risk.”