Southwark Council has secured approximately £500,000 in government funding to continue to improve services and opportunities for young people across the borough.
The funding is part of a national £88 million package to expand youth services, help young people reconnect with their communities, and create more safe spaces for personal and social development.
In Southwark, the grant will be invested between September 2025 and August 2026 to deliver a comprehensive Local Youth Transformation Development Plan informed by the voices of young people and the findings of the recent National Youth Agency review. The review identified many areas of strength and several areas for growth, including expanding on activities tailored for young women in youth clubs, agreeing a shared definition of what ‘good quality’ youth work looks like, and more support for Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) groups to engage effectively at a strategic level.
This Council’s plan will include:
- Empowering young people to have their say – the council will establish youth led groups to advise the council on issues that matter most to them. The council will also hire dedicated staff to engage with hard-to-reach groups to ensure their input shapes important decisions.
- Improved communication of youth-oriented activities – the council will create an easily accessible information hub to communicate the various youth activities and support services available. The focus will be on communicating more impactfully to ensure as many as possible know what what’s on offer.
- Fairer and clearer way of choosing services – Together with young people and community groups, the council will design a new system for funding and managing youth activities.
- Raising standards and keeping everyone safe –the council will introduce clear standards for youth work, an enhanced training programme for staff, and a step-up safeguarding measures to protect young people.
This funding will help Southwark not only meet its legal responsibilities but also go further by creating a youth service that truly listens to young people and puts their needs first.
Councillor Portia Mwangangye, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks and Young People, said: “This funding is a vital boost for Southwark’s young people. It gives us the opportunity to strengthen our youth services, widen access, and ensure young people’s voices directly shape the support they receive. We want every young person in our borough to feel heard, supported, and inspired to achieve their potential. This investment will help us build a youth offer that truly impacts the lives of young people.”
Southwark’s Local Youth Transformation Development Plan will also support the council’s Southwark 2030 strategy by ensuring youth services are accessible, inclusive, and high quality, delivering real, lasting change for the borough’s young people.
