When Young People Have Nowhere to Go

A local youth club is easy to overlook until it closes. For some young people, it was the only place outside school where they could meet friends, try something new or speak to an adult they trusted.

England's National Youth Strategy, published in December 2025, says local spending on youth services fell by 73% between 2010 and 2023. Over that period, more than 1,000 youth centres closed and more than 4,500 youth worker roles were lost.

The Government has since set out plans to improve youth spaces and local support. That is welcome, but buildings alone will not solve the problem. A useful place needs to be affordable, safe, easy to reach and open when young people actually need it.

There is another reason to take this seriously. Discussions about antisocial behaviour sometimes begin with what young people should stop doing. They rarely begin with what activities young people have been offered instead. Losing a youth centre does not automatically cause crime, but it can mean losing a place to belong.

Community organisations, schools, sports clubs and businesses all have a part to play. A small, regular activity can sometimes matter more than an expensive one-off event.

The question for local areas: What can a teenager do on a Wednesday evening that does not require money, transport or a parent to drive them?