Tower Hamlets has been selected as the only London borough to help shape the national rollout of Young Futures Hubs (YFH) - a new government initiative to improve opportunities, wellbeing, and safety for young people.
The Young Futures Hubs programme, backed by £2million in government funding for eight early adopter sites, will create a network of inclusive youth centres across England.
These hubs aim to provide access to youth workers and other professionals, supporting young people with their wellbeing and career development, as well as preventing them from harm.
Tower Hamlets joins Nottingham, County Durham, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, and Leeds in leading this work. Together, these councils will inform the design and delivery of 50 hubs planned over the next four years.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said:
“I’m extremely pleased that Tower Hamlets has been recognised as a leader in youth service provision and chosen to help shape this important national programme.
“Tower Hamlets is the youngest borough in London, with an average age of just 30. Our young people are at the heart of our community, and giving them the best start in life is one of our top priorities.
"That's why we've invested £13.7million into our youth service, with an aim to open a youth centre in every ward, as well as making history as the first council in the country to introduce universal free school meals for all pupils in the borough. We are now the first council to be providing universal school uniform grants for families earning up to £50,350 — helping 21,000 pupils, and our commitment to removing financial barriers to education includes becoming the first council to restore the Education Maintenance Allowance, along with our university bursaries.
"This partnership with Government is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen that commitment and enable our experience to inform a model that benefits young people across the country.”
Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Maium Talukdar, Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning, said:
“As someone who started out as a youth worker and attended youth centres myself, I know first-hand the difference these spaces make.
“As a council we value the importance of our young people and the role youth work plays in their lives. This year alone, we’ve expanded and improved our youth services significantly, giving young people access to safe spaces, opportunities, and tailored support."
The Young Futures Hubs programme builds on the council’s existing work to make sure that every young person feels supported and has access to safe spaces and opportunities.
It has invested £13.7million in its youth provision, Young Tower Hamlets, which was highlighted for the Young Futures Hubs programme for its strong provision and innovative approach.
This year, Young Tower Hamlets has opened seven new youth centres, bringing the total number to 19 sites (both direct delivery sites and commissioned providers), which have seen over 106,000 young attendees at youth centres across the borough in the last 12 months.
The council also offers a wide range of financial support for young people and families. It has re-introduced its Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and University Bursaries, providing young people with £600 or £1,500 grants to help with costs while they study.
Tower Hamlets was the first local authority to offer universal free school meals to both primary and secondary school pupils. Since rolling out the scheme in secondary schools two years ago, more than 2 million meals have been served to secondary school pupils.
This year, the council also introduced school clothing grants to help with the cost of school uniforms, providing families with £50 per child entering primary school and £150 per child entering secondary school.
Posted on Thursday 11th December 2025