Calderdale is among the areas chosen for a new government-backed Young Futures Hub, bringing mental health, employment, skills and crime prevention support together for young people.
Calderdale has been selected as one of the areas to establish a new Young Futures Hub as part of a major expansion of youth services across England.
The government has announced 42 new hubs, building on eight early-adopter locations already operating across the country. Lancashire is also included in the next phase.
The hubs are intended to give young people easier access to support with some of the biggest challenges they face, including poor mental health, unemployment and serious violence.
Alongside sports and creative activities and access to trusted youth workers, the hubs will bring together mental health services, skills and training, routes into employment and crime prevention support.
They will primarily support young people aged 10 to 18, with provision extending up to the age of 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The aim is to provide more joined-up support, reducing the need for young people to repeatedly explain their circumstances when accessing different services.
The expansion forms part of the government's National Youth Strategy, Youth Matters, which was developed following consultation with 14,000 young people.
The wider strategy includes more than £500 million of government investment designed to rebuild youth services and expand opportunities over the next decade.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said young people had told the government they needed “somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to talk to”, adding that the new hubs were intended to provide exactly that.
The programme is also intended to help identify and support young people vulnerable to crime at an earlier stage, with Young Futures Hubs working alongside other agencies in areas affected by knife crime.
Each participating local authority, including Calderdale, will receive further support through the Local Youth Transformation programme to develop partnerships, strengthen leadership and train staff.
Details of exactly where Calderdale's new hub will be based and when it will open are not provided in the announcement.
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