Target: Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister
Goal: Invest in youth clubs for betterment of kids’ lives.
For decades, youth clubs and organizations have provided young people with a means to develop crucial life skills not readily available in the classroom. England in particular used to be an ambassador of these clubs, and leaders invested heavily in the hopes of steering at-risk youth toward a crime-free future. And generations of young people valued these refuges where they could socialize and just have fun. Unfortunately, youth clubs have seen a rapid decline in England, and kids are pleading for their return.
Recent studies have revealed that roughly half of English youth clubs have or could soon be shuttered. At the same time, opportunities for after-school extracurricular activities (with the exception of wealthier schools) have also significantly decreased. These consequences are the by-products of a larger divestment in youth services as a whole across England.
Sign the petition below to urge leaders to reinvest in their nation’s future.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Sir Starmer,
Education is not limited to school buildings. Efe Obada, a footballer and a product of London’s foster care system, credited youth clubs with helping him “make that transition from teenager to adulthood.” A recent National Youth Agency survey echoes the craving that England’s young people still have for the vanishing youth club experience.
While crime prevention is one positive benefit of these clubs, their potential to teach all youth invaluable socialization and interpersonal skills – while bettering mental health – cannot be overstated. Please make these clubs a central focus of the Young Futures programme.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Afta Putta Gunawan
Great idea. Why to? Kids need to have fun, improve their skills and even determine the skills they need to keep going toward their dreams. Do this and see the improvement it makes in all the kids!
Such a good idea whose time has come!