We are at last going to see some serious investment in provision for young people in England. The Government has announced what it calls a "radical reform" based on an impressive 19,000 responses to last year's Youth Matters consultation.
The package includes some £115m ring-fenced funding through the Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund, and some degree of influence for young people over how that money is spent.
"A new duty on local authorities will ensure that young people have access to a wide range of positive activities," and there will be an 'annual local offer' about the opportunities and activities available in an area.
Considering that this government has been in power since 1997 it seems fair to ask why these measures have taken so long. I'm not sure the Policy Action Team on young people was the most incisive, but I know its recommendations included "a strategy and targets for improved access to leisure facilities for young people in deprived neighbourhoods" as well as the need for thorough consultation.
The report is not yet available in hard copy but there's a pdf here, and summary here.
