Peckham MP says young people need spaces – and they’re telling us that loud and clear

By Miatta Fahnbulleh

26th August 2025

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Miatta Fahnbulleh

Walking through Peckham during the summer, you see young people making do.

They are hanging out on the corners of estates. Taking turns on Lime Bikes. Climbing back over school fences to get onto the sports courts — not because they want to be back at school, but because there’s nowhere else to go.

Too many are left to improvise with their time. The youth clubs that are open are brilliant but overstretched. Activities book up fast. Waiting lists are long. The message that sends is clear: there simply isn’t enough provision to meet the need.

This is the result of over a decade of cuts. Nearly a third of youth clubs in London shut between 2010 and 2019. The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that in areas where clubs closed, young people became more likely to commit crime and did worse in school — especially those from low-income families.
When youth services disappear, so do opportunities.

That’s why I’ve made rebuilding youth provision one of my top priorities. This summer, I have been meeting with local community organisations and young people to hear more about the power of youth-led work in Peckham and how we can make the case for investing more in it.

I visited the Damilola Taylor Youth Centre with Janet Daby, the Minister for Children and Families. She met young people and community partners delivering the MyEnds programme. The young leaders running football, boxing, mentoring and creative sessions did Peckham proud. In a powerful roundtable, we heard about how vital these spaces are to young people’s mental health, safety, and sense of purpose.

I was also lucky to be joined by Sixth-formers from St Thomas the Apostle College in Parliament as part of the Elevated Minds programme, leading frank, thoughtful conversations about what we can do to improve justice, fairness and opportunity in our community. Members of the Southwark Youth Parliament also came to Westminster to talk about the issues they care most about: youth poverty, employability, climate, mental health. They had ideas. They had ambition. What they need now is backing.

Again and again, I heard the same thing: young people want to lead, and they want spaces that reflect who they are.

In Peckham we are lucky to have brilliant community-led youth groups who provide invaluable youth services for the people who need them.

But this work needs real support. We can’t rely on passion alone. We need long-term investment, proper infrastructure, and a national commitment to youth work that matches what local communities are already trying to deliver.

My goal is simple: every young person in Peckham should have access to a youth club or safe space within a short walk of their home. I am working hard to bring together more resource to support our community groups to do this.

Let’s give them the space to thrive.

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Peckham MP says young people need spaces – and they’re telling us that loud and clear

Miatta Fahnbulleh

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Peckham MP says young people need spaces – and they’re telling us that loud and clear