The youth clubs fighting to stay relevant in the social media age
Youth clubs in England and Wales are struggling to remain relevant and financially viable as local authority funding has plummeted by 73% since 2010. Many remaining centers are rebranding as cultural hubs to attract teenagers who feel traditional youth clubs are outdated.
Why it matters
The decline of accessible youth services impacts social cohesion and support systems for vulnerable teenagers in marginalized communities.
The youth clubs fighting to stay relevant in the social media age
By Adina Campbell UK correspondent It's 17:00 on Thursday in Bradford and as I approach a three-storey former country pub, drill music booms from the basement.
The snappy, rhythmic beats are not what you expect inside this old, listed building.
This is where teenagers from Gypsy, traveller and Roma communities get together every week. Older generations would call this a youth club but when I meet 16-year-old Sterling, he's quick to correct me: "Youth clubs are out of style."
As he fiddles with his cap, I suggest that this very building is in fact a re-branded model of a youth club.
"I mean, like, all right, it's similar, it has a resemblance to a youth club," he says. "But I view it more of a place to hang out, eat food and hustle."
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