{"id":478191,"date":"2026-04-20T16:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/?p=478191"},"modified":"2026-04-20T17:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:13:58","slug":"30-million-for-late-night-youth-clubs-but-the-devil-is-in-the-detail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/london\/30-million-for-late-night-youth-clubs-but-the-devil-is-in-the-detail\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a330 million for late-night youth clubs, but the devil is in the detail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As with all grand political announcements, especially when an election is on the horizon, the devil is in the detail. And the Mayor of London\u2019s visit to The Marcus Lipton youth centre in Loughborough Junction last week is a case in point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There he announced a \u00a330 million promise to set up a youth club in every London borough.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"69959\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448384\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-southwark-news wp-block-embed-southwark-news\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"UecDwdGNFFxqfCDf5y5agbI6R0toGjAvneiVp7MP4hx1NYukhsWSq808KCpgJaMnXYyVPOlbXE\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"gzdrxo4XKb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/london\/mayor-announces-30-million-for-late-night-youth-clubs-in-london\/\">Mayor announces \u00a330 million for late-night youth clubs in London<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Mayor announces \u00a330 million for late-night youth clubs in London&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/london\/mayor-announces-30-million-for-late-night-youth-clubs-in-london\/embed\/#?secret=K5hU33TEFJ#?secret=gzdrxo4XKb\" data-secret=\"gzdrxo4XKb\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sir Sadiq Khan says he hopes the \u00a31 million investment in every borough will help stop at-risk youngsters from falling into a life of gangs and crime. But the announcement on April 8 came just days after 26-year-old Aurelio Mejia was pronounced dead outside a nightclub in Ruby Street, off the Old Kent Road and in same week as 14-year-old of schoolboy Eghosa Ogbedor lost his life on the streets of South London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-southwark-news wp-block-embed-southwark-news\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"z52G4CdNU1xYREVicgAj068D9HZOotF\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"5kUruT3rrv\"><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/police-name-old-kent-road-stabbing-victim-as-aurelio-mejia-and-appeal-for-witnesses\/\">Police name Old Kent Road stabbing victim as Aurelio Mejia and appeal for witnesses<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Police name Old Kent Road stabbing victim as Aurelio Mejia and appeal for witnesses&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/police-name-old-kent-road-stabbing-victim-as-aurelio-mejia-and-appeal-for-witnesses\/embed\/#?secret=Mfvf0Jh2SX#?secret=5kUruT3rrv\" data-secret=\"5kUruT3rrv\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just hours after making the announcement and just streets away from The Marcus Lipton Centre, that very evening, a 17-year-old was rushed to hospital in a triple shooting in Camberwell. What\u2019s more nearby Clapham has witnessed rampaging teenagers and mass shoplifting overwhelming security guards. <\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"68153\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448385\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtMTAyNjM5MTA2NCIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWNvbnRlbnQgc291dGgtZW50aXR5LXBsYWNlbWVudCIgc3R5bGU9Im1hcmdpbi1sZWZ0OiBhdXRvO21hcmdpbi1yaWdodDogYXV0bzt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXI7Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtMngxIj4NCjxzY3JpcHQ+DQpnb29nbGV0YWcuY21kLnB1c2goZnVuY3Rpb24oKSB7IGdvb2dsZXRhZy5kaXNwbGF5KCdkaXYtZ3B0LWFkLTJ4MScpOyB9KTsNCjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KPC9kaXY+ICAgICAgICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>So, despite the fact that latest figures show knife crime and homicides are down with the Mayor\u2019s insistence that London is safe, you would be forgiven for fearing the worse, as summer fast approaches and crime traditionally rises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Khan is right that the murder rate has dropped from last year, but as we found in our recent deep dive into the figures on knife crime, some of the stats show a worrying trend. While knife crime is down, knife-point robbery is on the up, which is obviously worrying, as it is more likely to affect people not involved in criminality than knife crime between gang members.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"71156\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448386\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtMzE1MjU0NjkzNCIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWluLWFydGljbGUtbXB1OSBzb3V0aC1lbnRpdHktcGxhY2VtZW50Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtbXB1OSI+DQo8c2NyaXB0Pg0KZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgeyBnb29nbGV0YWcuZGlzcGxheSgnZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHU5Jyk7IH0pOw0KPC9zY3JpcHQ+DQo8L2Rpdj4gICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-southwark-news wp-block-embed-southwark-news\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"jBrJ3zQCfZRyRNUAclz45cas6xWdEgPfZ39o0H1CjT8LgpIPbeOqmxkQ5XwKdmoS1iNLqivnBYwy\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Lj41hhiQTo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/news\/news-plus\/knife-crime-in-southwark-what-do-the-figures-show-and-what-do-they-hide\/\">Knife crime in Southwark: What do the figures show and what do they hide?<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Knife crime in Southwark: What do the figures show and what do they hide?&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/news\/news-plus\/knife-crime-in-southwark-what-do-the-figures-show-and-what-do-they-hide\/embed\/#?secret=CbQOZUBlnO#?secret=Lj41hhiQTo\" data-secret=\"Lj41hhiQTo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It also reinforces the aged-old analogy that poverty breeds crime. Khan rightly acknowledges that 81 youth clubs have closed in the capital between 2010-2024 and of course blames the previous Conservative government for \u2018starving them of cash\u2019. But will \u00a31 million per borough make any real impact? Well of course not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, if this intension is backed up with more funding and working inline with his Violence Reduction Unit, set up in 2019, you\u2019d hope it is just one piece of a much bigger jigsaw. A jigsaw which will focus on prevention by giving young people valuable things to do, while supporting police to enforce the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Met\u2019s recent focus on anti-social behaviour has gone a long way to smashing gangs who were targeting local businesses and stealing and threatening shop workers. This and incidents of emergency workers being abused has gone on for far too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Low-level crime leads to fear and higher levels of crime further down the road. And this is true for youngsters having little to do or nowhere to go.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"71157\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448387\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtMTA2MDk2NzI4MSIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWluLWFydGljbGUtbXB1LTEwIHNvdXRoLWVudGl0eS1wbGFjZW1lbnQiPjwhLS0gIC8xNTQ3MjUwNzAsMjI2OTQxOTY5Njkvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cy9zb3V0aHdhcmtuZXdzIC0tPg0KPGRpdiBpZD0iZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHUxMCI+DQo8c2NyaXB0Pg0KZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgeyBnb29nbGV0YWcuZGlzcGxheSgnZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHUxMCcpOyB9KTsNCjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KPC9kaXY+ICAgICA8L2Rpdj4=<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>But, looking at this \u00a330 million package you have to do worry about the detail. Part of the mayor\u2019s \u2018Youth Lates\u2019 programme is that at least one late-night youth club will be available in every borough by sometime later this year. But there is no specific city-wide \u2018closing time\u2019 mandated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All we know currently is that the programme is built to address the lack of safe spaces during \u201chigh-risk\u201d late evening hours when traditional clubs typically close, offering a mix of sports, music production, mentorship, mental health support, and free food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here at Southwark News we will over the coming months look at exactly what this will mean and exactly where that money will be spent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-southwark-news wp-block-embed-southwark-news\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"KEmn5xpqok8Fgeru2NB796jZ3dThfyWU4SXwGzJLRliYHDM1PsAOcICVQ\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"fUln6j1EFL\"><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/south-london\/campaign-to-keep-brixton-police-stations-front-counter-open-24-7\/\">Campaign to keep Brixton Police Station\u2019s front counter open 24\/7<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Campaign to keep Brixton Police Station\u2019s front counter open 24\/7&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/south-london\/campaign-to-keep-brixton-police-stations-front-counter-open-24-7\/embed\/#?secret=pYgGj8ZQDD#?secret=fUln6j1EFL\" data-secret=\"fUln6j1EFL\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As with all grand political announcements, especially when an election is on the horizon, the devil is in the detail. And the Mayor of London\u2019s visit to The Marcus Lipton youth centre in Loughborough Junction last week is a case in point. There he announced a \u00a330 million promise to set up a youth club [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18769,"featured_media":477299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Southwark News comment"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"15443"},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[13539,800,15443,13543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-478191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-london","category-opinion","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18769"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":478192,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478191\/revisions\/478192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}