Taking Back Our Streets? Let’s Empower Our Youth to Lead the Way 

This column first appeared in Children & Young People Now on July 25, 2024

As Labour reveals more information regarding its mission to “take back our streets”, I can’t help but wonder: are we thinking big enough? A key to transforming our communities lies not just in policing, but in unlocking the potential of our young people through universal youth work provision, writes Ndidi Okezie OBE, UK Youth chief executive officer. 

UK Youth‘s groundbreaking research paints a compelling picture of youth work’s impact. Our Untapped report reveals that youth work saves the taxpayer more than half a billion pounds a year from reduced crime – including more than £150 million from reduced anti-social behaviour. This isn’t just about changing lives; it’s time to revolutionise communities. 

However, here’s the rub: while youth work proves its worth, it faces unprecedented challenges. Government funding for youth work has reduced dramatically over the last 15 years – with more than a billion pounds of funding lost, thousands of youth worker jobs gone and hundreds of youth centre closures. This shortsighted approach is costing society dearly. 

Labour‘s £100m “youth futures” programme is a welcome start. However, to truly transform our streets, we need to think bigger. Research shows that when youth centres close, there’s “a significant increase in rates of anti-social behaviour in the area for at least a year afterwards”. 

Imagine the positive impact if we invested in scaling quality youth work provision nationwide. The potential is enormous. Young people are the most likely age group to want to volunteer in their community – 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds want to volunteer to help their community in the year ahead. We’re sitting on a goldmine of community spirit and potential leadership – we just need to provide the opportunities to unlock it 

This is not just about crime reduction. UK Youth’s findings show that quality youth work can improve young people’s mental health, boost their employability, and foster a sense of belonging. When we invest in youth work, we’re investing in our society’s future. 

Labour has the chance to be revolutionary in its approach to youth and community safety. By placing universal, quality youth work at the centre of its strategy, the party can offer hope, support and opportunities to a generation often overlooked. 

To the Labour Party, I say: your mission is commendable. Now, let’s amplify it. Let’s not “take back” our streets – let’s hand them over to the communities they belong to, including young people. Let’s deliver streets equipped with the support and resources that communities need to thrive. 

The evidence is clear. The potential is enormous. The need is now. Young people are ready to lead – are we ready to empower them? 

This column first appeared in Children & Young People Now on July 25, 2024

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 8,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes