The government has published the first National Youth Strategy in 15 years, announcing more than £500 million of investment aimed at tackling rising youth isolation and rebuilding services over the next decade.

The plans, described as a shift from online isolation to “real life connections,” set out a ten-year programme to give young people “somewhere to go, something meaningful to do, and someone who cares about their wellbeing.”

The strategy, Youth Matters, has been co-produced with more than 14,000 young people through a nationwide ‘State of the Nation’ survey. According to ministers, the plans respond to widespread concerns about mental health, social isolation and a lack of accessible support.

The survey outlines how young people growing up in 2025 face pressures shaped by the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, global uncertainty and a digital world that leaves many connected online but isolated offline.

A core aim of the strategy is to give 500,000 more young people access to a trusted adult outside the home, helping them develop resilience, stay safe online and navigate the transition to adulthood. The government also intends to halve the gap in access to meaningful activities between richer and poorer families.

Central to the plans is major investment to rebuild local youth infrastructure after years of cuts that saw spending fall by 73% between 2010/11 and 2022/23, with more than 1,000 youth centres closing and over 4,500 youth worker roles lost.

The first eight hubs to be operational by March 2026 are in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, County Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Tower Hamlets, and Brighton and Hove.

Sir Keir Starmer has led tributes to a member of the British armed forces who has been killed in Ukraine | Justin Tallis/PA Wire

placeholder image — Sir Keir Starmer has led tributes to a member of the British armed forces who has been killed in Ukraine | Justin Tallis/PA Wire

The strategy commits to:

Up to 250 new or refurbished youth facilities over four years, alongside equipment for around 2,500 organisations through the £350 million Better Youth Spaces programme.
50 Young Futures Hubs by March 2029, part of a £70 million transformation programme. The first eight, due by March 2026, will be in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, County Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Tower Hamlets and Brighton and Hove.
More support for underserved areas through the Richer Young Lives Fund worth over £60 million.
A £22.5 million programme of out-of-school support in up to 400 schools.
Recruitment and training funding of £15 million for youth workers, volunteers and trusted adults.
£5 million to strengthen partnerships, digital infrastructure and information sharing.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “As a father, a dad and as Prime Minister, I believe it is our generation’s greatest responsibility to turn the tide on the lost decade of young kids left as collateral damage. It is our moral mission.” He added that the strategy reflects a commitment to ensuring apprenticeships carry “the same respect and opportunity as everyone else.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said youth policy “has been an afterthought” for too long. She said young people “want more meaningful real life connections” and the new strategy “puts young people at the heart of decision-making.”

The government says the plan aligns with its missions to spread opportunity, make streets safer and ease pressure on the NHS.