Review of youth clubs' role in supporting children at risk of or involved in violence
National Youth Agency · 2026
About this report
This mixed-methods review examines how open-access youth clubs in England and Wales support children at risk of or involved in violence. It finds that youth clubs are disproportionately located in high-deprivation, high-violence areas and tend to operate during peak risk hours (4–8pm weekdays), but face persistent challenges around short-term funding, staffing shortages, and inconsistent integration with wider services. Youth clubs provide a wide range of formal and informal support — including mentoring, safeguarding, signposting, and gang exit support — and are attended by children facing multiple vulnerabilities. The review recommends multi-year flexible funding, workforce investment, and stronger embedding of youth clubs within multi-agency safeguarding systems.
Research details
- Methodology
- SurveyInterviewFocus groupSecondary analysisMixed methods
- Sample size
- 321
- Sample
- Youth workers and volunteers (surveyed and interviewed), children aged 11–18 (focus groups), and sector leaders (deliberative sessions); participants drawn from England and Wales.
- Who it's about
- Young people in or leaving the justice system
- Place
- EnglandWales
- Youth involvement
- Co-produced
- Funder
- Youth Endowment Fund