The Prime Minister has announced an £88 million package for youth clubs and schools as he says that Children are spending more time “detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen”
“Far from the default being outdoor activities, young people today are spending more and more of their time detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen, throwing up huge challenges for them and their loved ones to overcome.”
The Uniformed Youth Fund, which supports groups such as Scouts and Guides, will receive £7.5 million to help offer more places in local communities, while £30.5 million will go to improving youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty.
Some £22.5 million over three years will be used to fund access in 400 schools across the country to extracurricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering.
A recent report found that screen time for children and teenagers increased by 52 per cent between 2020 and 2022,
A quarter of young people used their smartphones in a way that was consistent with a behavioural addiction while One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age twelve.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities.
As a government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today’s investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.
Through our Plan for Change, we’re backing parents by not only protecting our young people online, but giving them the support and opportunities they deserve so no child falls through the cracks.
