Mayor launches new £6m Holiday Hope programme for young people as summer holidays begin

• Sadiq boosts funding to provide young people with something to do, something to aspire to and something to eat during the school holidays
• New programme to provide more free activities, skills development and food in the summer when young people are vulnerable to exploitation and violence
• Investment in young people contributes to pledge to create 250,000 positive opportunities by 2028, on top of 500,000 provided since 2016

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched a new £6 million programme to provide holiday activities and opportunities for young people at greatest risk of exploitation and violence.

Starting this summer, the Mayor's new Holiday Hope programme will provide young people at greatest disadvantage with something to do, something to aspire to, and something to eat.

Sadiq is committed to investing in and providing a helping hand for young people during the summer when evidence shows without the safety and security of school, and free school meals, they are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

Key to his ambition of supporting young people is Holiday Hope, which will deliver positive activities over the summer and school holidays to keep children and young people safe, combined with access to skills and routes into training and employment. Every activity funded through the Mayor's £6m investment will also come with food.

Holiday Hope is a key manifesto commitment that will directly contribute to the Mayor's pledge to provide 250,000 young people with activities and positive opportunities during this term.

Holiday Hope will bring together and strengthens activities delivered across the capital for young people in the greatest need of support.

It builds on existing and effective delivery of summer holiday activities funded through London's Violence Reduction Unit, the Mayor's Fund for London, The Felix Project and wider City Hall delivery.

Increased funding through the Holiday Hope programme will bring delivery together through investment in more than 100 community organisations, increasing young people's access to youth spaces, activities, opportunities, and food during the challenging holiday period.

This will be done through:  

1. Something to do: providing young people with access to youth clubs and hubs, and positive activities, including sport, music production, performing arts and dance. It brings together targeted diversionary work and positive opportunities to keep young people safe and supported throughout the summer.

2. Something to aspire to: delivery of opportunities, workshops and sessions to help young people gain the skills and experience needed into jobs, apprenticeships and what's needed to succeed.

3. Something to eat: recognising that the holidays can make it more challenging for young people to access healthy meals, all activities delivered during the summer and school holidays will include food either at activities or through take home packs provided for both children and their families.

A number of activities delivered through Holiday Hope and others available across London can be found on the Local Village Network (LVN) signposting website and app. LVN has more than 2,500 free services, activities, opportunities and mentoring services for young people.

The Mayor launched his new Holiday Hope programme today at a visit to Salaam Peace in Waltham Forest. Funded through the programme, it delivers activities in schools, in youth clubs and on estates across Waltham Forest and Hackney to provide activities and opportunities for young people.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "I'm determined to make London the greatest city in the world to grow up in and one where every young person has the support and opportunities that they need to be safe and to thrive.

"The school holidays should be a time to celebrate the best of our city and build experiences and friendships, but we also know it also is a time when young people are vulnerable to exploitation and violence.

"Our Holiday Hope programme, backed up by £6m investment, will provide the helping hand and support that children and young people need, offering them something to do, something to aspire to and something to eat, as part of my commitment to build a fairer and safer London for everyone."

Lib Peck, Director of London's Violence Reduction Unit, said: "School holidays are both a time of fun and opportunity for young people, but it also represents challenge as we know there is greater risk of violence.

"The Mayor's new Holiday Hope programme seeks to bring together diversionary activities and opportunities to develop important life skills that will provide support for children and young people throughout the crucial summer period.

"We are committed to delivering what young people need to stay safe and to thrive."

Jim Minton, Chief Executive of the Mayor's Fund for London, said: "The Mayor's Fund for London is a proud partner in driving the Mayor's ambitious Holiday Hope programme. We'll be working with our community partners pan-London to offer a huge menu of activities and opportunities to young Londoners over the summer holidays and beyond.

"London is full of talented young people, who want the chance to access the opportunities that our city offers, yet 78 per cent of 16-19 year olds in MFL's network lack the social and professional connections to access vocational support and in-work experience. Thanks to the Mayor's investment, the Holiday Hope combination of safe spaces, healthy food and positive activities, will open doors and break down the barriers that so often hold young Londoners back."

Charlotte Hill OBE, CEO of The Felix Project, said: "We welcome the Holiday Hope programme and the support it will give to young people during the summer break. We know only too well how challenging the holidays are for children and their families. We recently found 64 per cent of London teachers expect at least one child in their class to go hungry this summer, with one in seven saying up to six pupils could be affected.

"The Felix Project does all it can to get surplus food to families in need especially during the holidays when term time support is not available. Together we can help so many more children to enjoy the holidays and go back to school in September refreshed and ready to learn."

Azi Mohammed, Chief Operating Officer of Salaam Peace, said: "Salaam Peace are delighted to be a part of the Holiday Hope programme. User-led and young person-led programmes like ours, provide young people with a safe, local space and with relatable, positive role models from their very communities to aspire to be like. Through these interactions, young people develop a positive support network that they can lean on, both in times of difficulty and prosperity."

Zayn, a young leader at Salaam Peace, said: "The holiday work at Salaam Peace is crucial for many young people in the local community. It provides children with the opportunity to try out different activities whilst giving them members of staff they can speak to and ensures children have access to food, which in the current cost-of-living crisis can be a huge help to many families. As a young leader, it enables me to give back to my local community, giving me a sense of belonging and purpose."

Elizah, a young person who attends Salaam Peace, said: "Having access to holiday sports clubs and community activities is not just about having fun, it's about feeling supported and staying connected. When school's out, it can be really easy to feel isolated or bored, especially if there's not much going on locally. These programmes give us somewhere safe and positive to go - it's a lifeline for a lot of young people."

Sandhya Sivakanthan, aka @sandsxfitness on socials, said: "Growing up can be tough if you don't have a good support network, so I'm delighted to support the Mayor of London's Holiday Hope programme. I'm really passionate about supporting young people and helping them feel excited about their future, and initiatives like this can be transformative."

Singer Rosca Onya, who spent time in jail after being groomed by a gang when he was a child, said: "The Mayor of London's programme gives young people a chance I never had growing up on a council estate. If something like this existed back then, it could've helped me find purpose sooner, before the streets tried to shape my story for me."