Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning

Youth Matters: Next Steps , published in March 2006, set out the vision for empowering young people and giving them ‘somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to’. Additionally, Every Child Matters outlined the importance of the provision of integrated services for children and young people. To learn more about the ways in which integrated provision through youth clubs impacts on young people, parents/carers and the local community, we conducted an evaluation of seven integrated or semi-integrated clubs across England. The overall purpose of this evaluation is to determine what levels and combinations of integration work for whom, why and under which circumstances.

Integrated provision means that a range of specialist services or activities are available and accessed by young people through one facility. Integrated clubs are those that provide a mix of services for all young people whether delivered through extended school activities, youth clubs or otherwise in the community. In many communities, particularly those with high levels of deprivation, integrated clubs may provide young people with access to resources and opportunities that would otherwise be unattainable.

The findings from this research suggest that youth clubs are and have further potential to be an important part of the range of services offered to and accessed by young people. Well-designed and well-resourced youth clubs provide a safe environment where young people learn new skills, encounter unique experiences and receive advice and guidance from trusted adults; a unique aspect of the general experience of many young people.