Young people across Redcar and Cleveland will benefit from a significant investment in youth services after the council won a major Government grant.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of extra funding will be invested into improving youth services provided by the council and its partners over the next two years.
A key part of the plan will be the creation of a Young Future Hub – a centre for young people who need extra support from a range of services. Other investment will go to improving existing youth services for ten to 18-year-olds.
The funding from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will be used to build on and better coordinate existing provision for young people, to improve access to careers, employment and training opportunities, reduce vulnerability to being drawn into crime, and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Young Futures Hubs will help young people tackle some of the biggest challenges they face today, from poor mental health to unemployment to serious violence.
The council was one of 26 local authorities in the country to successfully apply for the funding.
A consultation process will now commence with partner agencies and young people – including voluntary organisations, police, mental health services and young offending services - before the Young Futures Hub is established and other youth services are improved next year.
Cllr Bill Suthers, Cabinet Member for Children, said:
“This is fantastic news and is down to a lot of hard work from highly dedicated officers absolutely committed to improving the lives of our children and young people. Well done to everyone involved. It was a real team effort, from our officers who worked so hard on the bid to colleagues in the council’s Cabinet and our MPs who lobbied advisors in Number 10, Downing Street.
“The real winners are our young people, especially those who need extra help or may be going to the wrong track. This investment has the potential to benefit them and the whole of our community for many years to come. I know our officers are already working hard with our partners on developing plans to make sure this will be a resounding success.”