When the UK embarked on its grand experiment with austerity in the 2010s, few anticipated the quiet but profound impact on youth clubs. After all, how much harm could cutting a few “extraneous” services really do? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. Across London, about 30% of youth clubs closed their doors between 2010 and 2019, leaving thousands of young people adrift—no small feat in a city known for its thriving youth culture. But hey, they saved a few pounds on budgets, so all good.

Funding Cuts: Because Who Really Needs Safe Spaces?

Between the funding slashes and shrinking budgets, London councils had little choice but to start trimming around the edges. And by “around the edges,” we mean the safe, supportive places for young people. By the end of the decade, over a hundred clubs had shut down, and youth workers all but disappeared. What did these places offer, really? Just a few “luxuries” like mentorship, sports, tutoring, and a trusted community. But who needs that when you can have yet another McDonald’s drive through?

In 2009, roughly 40% of London’s youth (ages 11-16) attended a youth club weekly. Now, these teens have the great opportunity to learn that fun, stability, and safety are optional in life but there is another way, including drugs, knives and prison – is that an ideal prep for adulthood?

The Great GCSE Plunge: Austerity’s Gift to Education

Not surprisingly, as these clubs vanished, so did the stability they brought. According to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), students who lost a nearby youth club performed worse on their GCSEs. The average decline was about half a grade, but kids from lower-income families saw scores drop by over a full grade. Nothing says “investment in the future” like ensuring disadvantaged teens perform even worse at school. Sure, a generation of lower grades and fewer opportunities doesn’t bode well for society—but at least we got to keep austerity “on track.”

Rising Crime: All Part of the Plan?

Youth clubs also did a remarkable job of keeping young people out of trouble—perhaps their most underrated service. The IFS found that teenagers who no longer had a nearby club to go to were 14% more likely to get into trouble with the law in the following six years. The annual crime rate among these teens rose from 14 to 16 per 1,000, which may sound small—until you realize that’s hundreds more young people each year ending up with criminal records instead of career opportunities. But hey, it’s all part of the life experience? What’s more valuable than learning the hard way in a detention centre?

Losing the Last Lifeline

Youth clubs were more than just a place to pass time—they were a lifeline, offering mentorship, support, and some genuine hope. Carmen Villa, author of the IFS report, summed it up: “Youth clubs provide support that goes beyond recreation… mentorship, structured activities, and a safe space for socializing—resources many teens cannot find elsewhere.” When austerity cut the clubs, it cut off that lifeline. Suddenly, young people from tough backgrounds were on their own, left to navigate a world that had abruptly stopped caring. So, they adapted—as any generation would—finding other, less sanctioned forms of “recreation” and “support.”

Austerity’s Real Cost: The Hidden Price of “Savings”

While austerity saved the government a few pounds in youth club budgets, the real costs are still adding up. Lower grades mean fewer career opportunities and higher social costs. Increased crime leads to more public spending on policing, courts, and social services. The irony? The price we’ll pay to clean up this mess far exceeds any “savings” from those cuts. But the lasting legacy of austerity is clear: a generation of young people without the support they need, carrying the weight of decisions they had no hand in making.

Austerity’s Real Cost: The Hidden Price of “Savings”

In a bid to patch up the cracks, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has invested in youth workers and launched initiatives to create “500,000 positive opportunities” for young people. While it’s a step forward, rebuilding from the ground up is no quick fix, and the scars left by a decade of austerity won’t disappear overnight. As Pepe Di’Iasio of the Association of School and College Leaders put it, closing youth clubs has been “hugely damaging.” Reversing that damage will require more than just a few good policies; it requires a cultural shift—perhaps even an acknowledgment that, contrary to some beliefs, young people might actually be worth investing in.

After all, it’s one thing to save a pound. It’s another to ignore the cost of a broken future.