Paul Howell has welcomed funding for The Scout Hut, Neasham Road, Middleton St George, DL2 1LD to transform youth facilities and give young people in Middleton St George the opportunity to develop vital skills for life.

  • £350,000.00 has been announced by the Conservative Government to support Middleton St George Scouts as part of the Youth Investment Fund which aims to create, expand, and improve local youth facilities and their services, to help drive positive outcomes for young people.
  • Across the country the Youth Investment Fund will see the number of young people accessing regular, positive activities by 45,000 per year, supporting their wellbeing, giving them opportunities to develop vital skills for life and empowering them to be active members of their local community. Paul Howell  has welcomed the announcement from the Government that young people in Middleton St George are to benefit.

This comes from the £300 million of total funding for the Youth Investment Fund. Small community youth spaces, youth centres large and small, and activity centres will all benefit from this fund. The transformative fund launched in 2022 by the Conservative Government will pave the way for up to 300 youth facilities to be built or refurbished over the next three years in areas where need is high and existing youth provision is low. The Youth Investment Fund will increase the number of young people accessing regular, positive activities by 45,000 per year, support their wellbeing and give them opportunities to develop vital skills for life.

The Government has also approved £16.9 million of funding to expand access to uniformed youth groups, aiming to create 20,000 new places for young people aged between 10-18 across the country. This funding will also be focused in areas where young people are most at risk of being drawn into anti-social behaviour. Commenting, Paul Howell MP said: “Young people in Middleton-St-George deserve to have the opportunity to develop vital skills for life and be empowered to be active members of their local community. As someone who was in the Scouts in Newton Aycliffe I fully recognise the value they add and I am confident this fund will enormously benefit the mental and physical wellbeing of our young people.”

Commenting, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, said: “I want every young person to have the opportunity to access the kinds of life-changing activities which expand their horizons and allow them to develop vital life skills. The National Youth Guarantee will provide these opportunities and support young people with access to regular club activities, adventures away from home and volunteering opportunities. We are supporting this today with an investment to create or renovate spaces for youth clubs and activities to support opportunities for thousands of young people across the country who would otherwise miss out.”