New youth clubs for anti-social behaviour hotspots

The first wave of youth clubs aimed at giving young people support with jobs and well being are set to open across England.

Eight young futures hubs will open in areas with high anti-social behaviour, including Bristol, Nottingham and Leeds.

The centres will aim to help young people aged up to 18 with employment advice, health and well being and prevent them from falling into a life of crime.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the hubs were "about more than bricks and mortar" and showed the government "believes in young people and is investing in their futures".

Nandy said: "The closure of over 1,000 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.

"What makes them different is that we're joining things up – wellbeing support, crime prevention, work coaches, youth services, all in one place."

"We're making sure teenagers have somewhere to go, someone to talk to and a real chance to thrive," Nandy added.

While a total of 50 centres will eventually be opened across the country, the first wave also includes:

• Birmingham
• Brighton and Hove
• County Durham
• Manchester
• Tower Hamlets

Young people aged between 10 and 18, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25, will also be able to access services at the youth centres.

Bristol's youth club will be managed by the Full Circle Project, a social enterprise based in St Pauls, which will coordinate services across other sites in the city, such as the Station in the centre and Wellspring Settlement in Barton Hill.

The model aims to help young people access diverse support, such as mental health services and career counselling, without having to repeat their stories to multiple agencies.

Hannah Woodhouse, executive director of Children and Education at Bristol City Council, said: "By bringing services and activities together in a welcoming, community setting, we're making it easier for young people, and their families, to get the right support at the right time."

"We're proud to be an early adopter area and to be working with brilliant local partners and young people themselves to build a joined-up, preventative offer that helps more young people feel safe, supported and able to thrive."

It comes as the government is due to launch its crackdown on knife crime.

Ministers hope to halve knife crime over the next 10 years as part of a plan called Protecting Lives, Building Hope.

Sarah Jones, the policing minister, said: "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. This Government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities.

"We will roll out young futures hubs in crime hotspots across the country to divert young people from violence, cut crime and protect communities."

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