Young Futures Hubs are a core part of the Government’s plans to support young people in England. Designed locally to improve young people’s outcomes they will bring together services within local communities to create tailored support.
About the Young Futures Hubs
The hubs, both physical and digital, aim to support individual young people while responding to considerable issues facing young people today:
- Increasing opportunities
- Improving mental health and wellbeing
- Reducing crime
The hubs will run youth-led programmes through enriching opportunities such as arts, sports, volunteering, and skills-based projects. These will foster confidence, resilience, and belonging.
Young Futures Hubs delivery model
Each Young Futures Hub has been designed locally, with every area creating its own strategy based on the needs of young people in their community. While each hub looks different in practice, common themes run throughout the programme.
All hubs deliver a blend of open access youth work, providing safe, welcoming spaces for all young people, and targeted support for those who may need more focused help.
They also act as central anchor points for partnership working, bringing together organisations across community safety, careers and employability services, DWP Youth Hubs, mental health provision, and a wide range of voluntary and community sector partners to offer coordinated, wrap‑around support.
Young Futures Hubs beyond the early adopters
The National Youth Strategy sets out the government’s long‑term commitment to tackling youth isolation and improving access to high‑quality youth services across England. As part of this strategy, the government has committed to establishing 50 Young Futures Hubs by March 2029.
The initiative is part of a £70 million transformation program for local authorities.
Bristol amongst the first wave of Young Futures Hubs to open their doors
In Bristol the Young Future Hub, located at Full Circle Docklands in St Paul’s, in East Central Bristol, brings together youth activities and support under one roof, ensuring there is ‘no wrong door’ to accessing services.
The Hub makes it easier for young people aged 10–18 (and up to 25 for those with SEND) to get the right help, close to home – from youth clubs and sports to mentoring, wellbeing services and careers advice.
At the launch of the Hub, Councillor Christine Townsend, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee said: “We are a young city and a city full of opportunities, and we want young people to be able to access these, to succeed and thrive in learning and in their future, to be healthy and safe and have a trusted adult to support them.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build a sustainable model of youth provision in the heart of our city working within and across communities. Our hub and spoke model brings trusted local organisations and services together in one place and provides an enhanced offer of connected activities and support in a number of locations in East Central Bristol, making it easier for young people to access opportunities and feel a sense of belonging in their community.”
The Hub operates on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, with a central hub at Full Circle Docklands facilitating access to a wide range of organisations and opportunities, creating a coordinated and enhanced network of youth provision across East Central Bristol, including outreach work in schools. While currently the model is still developing, it provides a strong foundation for a more joined‑up and sustainable approach to youth services.
Full Circle Docklands leads the Hub, working with a partnership of local voluntary and community organisations including Off the Record (OTR), Empire Fighting Chance, Aspirations Creation Elevation (ACE), Bristol Horn Youth Concern, Imayla, Creative Youth Network, The Swannery and Bristol City Council’s post‑16 team. The Hub also aims to strengthen links with schools and statutory services, helping young people and families navigate support more easily through clear referral pathways.
Lavell Smart, age 11, said: “I’m really pleased because I love coming to Full Circle, it gets me out the house (mum said it gets me off my PlayStation) and I love boxing so I’m glad it’s coming to the Hub.”
Kodi Kondwani, age 18, said: “I think that the new youth hub will be the start of something big and I’m glad to be a part of it and the opening of the hub just shows me that there is hope for the youth.”
Angell Charles, age 15, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing what the hub does, I think it’s good there will be more on offer for me and my friends.”
Tejaun Grant, age 14, said: “I’ve been coming to Docklands for years and happy that we will get more services in the area.”
John Miller, Case Lead for the National Youth Agency said: “The Young Futures Hub programme marks the most exciting opportunity in decades to champion the power of youth work and rebuild a strong, preventative offer for young people. Bristol has already completed vital groundwork, identifying real areas of need, selecting St Paul’s as a central location, and laying the foundations for strong partnerships.
“Although the Hub is still in its early stages, this preparatory work is crucial. It means Bristol is well positioned to develop a model of youth support that reflects hyper-local needs while contributing to national learning about what works. The insight gained here has the potential to shape youth work practice and policy across the country for years to come.”
The launch follows extensive collaborative work with young people, community organisations and statutory partners. The offer will continue to grow and develop over the coming year as learning from the early stages of delivery shapes future activity.
Where are the Hubs located?
Young Futures Hubs are being established in eight Early Adopter areas:
- Brighton and Hove
- Tower Hamlets
- Birmingham
- Manchester
- Nottingham
- Bristol
- County Durham
- Leeds
These areas will also benefit from Local Youth Transformation Programme (LYTP) funding and support. This enables local authorities with strong foundations in youth provision to lead the development of the new hubs.
How is NYA involved?
The National Youth Agency (NYA) is leading the delivery of the Local Youth Transformation Programme and supporting the development of the Young Futures Hubs in the Early Adopter local authorities.
NYA is working alongside a consortium of youth sector partners, including UK Youth, Regional Youth Work Units (RYWUs), Young People Foundation Trusts, StreetGames, the Local Government Association, Youth Access, Solve, and the Centre for Young Lives.
Together, we are supporting each local authority through a tailored review process, involving young assessors and consortium experts. This process helps areas understand their current youth offer, identify gaps, and co-design a plan for establishing Young Futures Hubs that drive long-term, sustainable transformation.
”"By helping Local Authorities understand and respond to local needs, we’re building youth services that are not only effective today but resilient for the future. This programme is a key part of the Government’s National Youth Strategy that truly values quality youth provision and community impact."
Leigh Middleton OBECEO, National Youth Agency
