Young people in Havering are set to benefit from a major new £30 million investment in youth services, as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launches the landmark ‘Youth Lates’ programme to bring high-quality youth clubs back into every community.
The programme will deliver at least one late-night youth club in every London borough, giving young people safe spaces to go after school, in the evenings and at weekends — with access to activities, mentoring, mental health support and food all under one roof.
This is the biggest ever investment in youth clubs by a Mayor and forms part of a wider plan to keep Londoners safe by tackling the root causes of crime, alongside record investment in policing.
Margaret Mullane, Dagenham and Rainham MP said “After years of cuts that hollowed out youth services, this is what Labour in power looks like – investing in our young people and giving them real opportunities to succeed.
Young people deserve safe spaces, positive role models and the chance to build a better future. That’s exactly what Youth Lates will deliver.
This is what can be achieved when Labour is working together at all levels — from local councils, to City Hall, to the national government — focused on delivering for our communities.
At these elections, that’s what’s at stake. A Labour vote in May means more investment, safer streets and more opportunities for young people.”
The Youth Lates programme builds on the Mayor’s successful Violence Reduction Unit, which has already delivered more than 550,000 interventions to prevent young people being drawn into crime, alongside mentoring support for over 100,000 young Londoners.
It comes alongside record investment of £1.26 billion in policing and crime prevention across London, helping to drive down violence – with homicides at their lowest level on a per capita basis and youth violence significantly reduced.
The new youth clubs are expected to begin rolling out this year, ensuring that no young Londoner is left behind.