Stoke-on-Trent could receive up to £1.3 million to create two new youth hubs bringing mental-health support, training, employment help and positive activities together in accessible spaces for young people.
The city is one of 42 areas selected for the Government’s Young Futures programme. Initial funding of up to £100,000 will be used to develop detailed plans, with young people directly involved in deciding how the hubs should operate.
If the plans progress and performance requirements are met, Stoke-on-Trent could then receive up to £600,000 a year during both 2027/28 and 2028/29. The council is working towards a planned launch from April 2027.
Who will the hubs support?
The proposed physical and digital spaces will be open to young people aged 10 to 18. Support will extend to age 25 for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities.
The concept is intended to make help easier to find by bringing several services together rather than expecting families to navigate a collection of separate organisations. Announced provision includes:
- Mental-health and wellbeing support
- Skills development and training
- Help with finding work
- Mentoring and counselling
- Sports and creative activities
- Specialist help for those at risk of crime or exploitation
- Trusted relationships with trained youth workers
The hubs are expected to combine open-access activities with more targeted support. That distinction matters: they should be places young people choose to visit, not buildings associated only with crisis or intervention.
Why bringing services together could help
A young person struggling with anxiety, education, employment or difficulties at home may need more than one kind of support. If services operate independently, they can encounter repeated assessments, unfamiliar professionals and delays between referrals.
A well-designed hub could provide a clearer first point of contact. A young person might initially attend a sports session, creative workshop or informal event, gradually build trust with youth workers and then feel able to discuss a more serious concern.
That relationship-led approach is one of the strongest features of traditional youth work. Buildings and online services matter, but consistent adults who listen, notice changes and understand local communities are likely to determine whether the hubs succeed.
Physical spaces and digital access
The scheme includes both physical and digital provision. This could widen access for young people who cannot easily travel, feel uncomfortable entering a centre or prefer to make initial contact online.
Digital access should complement—not replace—safe physical spaces. Many young people need somewhere outside home and school where they can spend time constructively, see friends and speak privately to trusted adults.
Locations have not yet been confirmed. Accessibility will therefore be a major planning consideration. The hubs will need sensible transport links, opening hours that reflect young people’s lives and a design that feels welcoming rather than institutional.
Support for mental health and wellbeing
Mental-health support is a central part of the announcement. The hubs are not a replacement for specialist NHS care, but they could provide earlier help, guidance and routes into appropriate services.
Early support can be particularly valuable when a problem is developing but has not yet reached crisis point. Informal conversations, counselling, structured activities and connections with other services may help young people and families act sooner.
Clear boundaries will still be required. Parents and young people should understand what help is available, how confidentiality works and where urgent or clinical cases will be referred.
Training and employment opportunities
The hubs are also expected to offer skills, training and job-search support. This gives the programme an economic as well as a social purpose.
Useful provision could include CV preparation, interview practice, introductions to apprenticeships, practical workshops and contact with local employers. Stoke-on-Trent has strong sectors including manufacturing, ceramics, logistics, construction, health, digital services and hospitality, all of which could contribute to meaningful pathways.
Local business involvement would make the employment element stronger. Young people benefit from meeting employers, visiting workplaces and understanding what different jobs actually involve—not simply receiving general advice from a leaflet or website.
Reducing the risk of crime and exploitation
Specialist support will be available for young people considered vulnerable to crime and exploitation. Prevention must be handled carefully: a youth hub should remain a welcoming community resource rather than feel like an extension of enforcement.
The most effective protection often begins with trust, reliable activities and a sense of belonging. Mentoring, positive peer groups and practical opportunities can strengthen the protective factors around a young person while specialist workers respond to particular risks.
It will also be important to involve families, schools, police and voluntary organisations appropriately without creating unnecessary duplication.
Young people will help design the service
Between now and March 2027, young people are expected to take part in planning, review and co-creation. Their involvement should go beyond a single survey.
Young people can offer direct insight into barriers adults may overlook: whether a venue feels safe, how late it should remain open, what language services should use and which activities would genuinely attract participation.
Good co-design also means feeding decisions back to participants. If an idea cannot be adopted because of cost, safeguarding or practical limitations, the reason should be explained.
How the hubs fit with existing services
The programme will build on Stoke-on-Trent’s Local Youth Transformation pilot and is intended to complement existing Family Hubs, Community Lounges and youth provision.
That word—complement—is important. The objective should be a joined-up network, not a replacement for effective local groups already trusted by families. Voluntary organisations, sports clubs, charities and neighbourhood projects often hold relationships that cannot be recreated quickly.
The new investment offers an opportunity to strengthen those connections, fill genuine gaps and create clearer routes between universal activities and specialist help.
What should success look like?
The £1.3 million headline is significant, but the programme should eventually be judged by outcomes rather than expenditure. Useful measures could include:
- How many young people use the hubs repeatedly, not merely once
- Whether support is available quickly when someone asks for help
- Participation from different neighbourhoods and age groups
- Improved routes into education, apprenticeships and employment
- Feedback from young people and families
- Successful referrals into specialist services
- Whether young people report feeling safer and better supported
Long-term stability will also matter. Two years of delivery funding can establish the model, but residents will reasonably want to know how effective services will be sustained beyond the initial programme.
An opportunity worth shaping properly
Stoke-on-Trent’s selection for the Young Futures programme is positive news. Up to two hubs could provide practical support, safe activities and trusted relationships for thousands of young people across the city.
The planning period now presents an equally important opportunity. Choosing accessible locations, recruiting experienced staff, working with existing organisations and listening properly to young people will be more important than branding or launch-day publicity.
If those foundations are right, the hubs could become valuable points of support for young people before difficulties escalate—and help more of them move confidently towards training, employment and adult life.
What services, activities and locations would make the proposed youth hubs genuinely useful to young people in Stoke-on-Trent? Stoke-on-Trent Duck welcomes constructive views from families, young people and local organisations.
Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council: Government awards up to £1.3 million for new youth hubs. Information correct at publication. Featured image: Hanley city centre, photographed by Raintheone, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
