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Written question asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 29 May 2026. It was answered by Baroness Twycross (Labour) on Thursday, 28 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Youth Centres: Closures

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many youth clubs have closed in the past 10 years.

Answer

The Government does not centrally collect data on total youth club closures. However, YMCA research indicates that the number of local authority-run youth centres in England fell from 860 in 2011-12 to 379 in 2024-25.

We are committed to securing a bright future for our youth clubs, and in December 2025, DCMS launched the “Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy” 10 year plan. This strategy will ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. It is funded by over £500 million from DCMS for fulfilling things to do outside of school, support when and where young people need it, and more youth clubs and trusted adults. This includes £350 million to refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities through our Better Youth Spaces programme.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL127
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Closures Youth centres
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk