Thanks to the combined power of our members, partners and young people, £7 million of Early Support Hub funding will continue for another year.
We know what a transformative impact this hard-fought funding with the Fund the Hubs campaign has had - and will now continue to have for thousands of young people across the country.
“Young Devon is the only service that actually gives that time, effort and non-judgemental space for me to be me. Support like this is so important for young people that might be struggling. I hope that young people in every community can have a place like this to turn to for their mental health and wellbeing.” Des, a young person who has received support at Young Devon
Young people have been clear that they want and need support early, locally and without barriers. Too often, young people fall through the gaps between CAMHS and school-based mental health support, leaving them with nowhere to turn. Early support hubs are an essential part of the solution, providing easy-to-access mental health support and practical advice.
When members receiving the early support hub funding, raised the alarm in September 2025 that this would be coming to an end, we knew we needed to act.
Our survey of 16 of the funded Early Support Hubs revealed the incredible impact this funding had already made since 2024.
- Young Persons Advisory Service in Liverpool had supported over 1,500 young people in Sefton and Knowsley. Without this funding, these areas had no comparable alternatives, and young people faced 18+ week waits for NHS assessment and 20+ weeks for treatment.
- Centre 33 in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough were able to expand their support offer. 66% of young people they supported reported experiencing moderate to severe distress. After support, 60% reported reduced distress, and 70% showed improvements.
- Young Devon expanded their service through a new hub in Barnstaple and virtual support in Torbay, supporting 296 young people across 1,887 sessions, with 97% rated the service good or excellent.
We also identified the scale of the threat if the funding was not to continue:
- 75% of hubs anticipated staff redundancies
- 69% expected significant service reductions
- 50% foresaw closures
- Only 2 of 16 hubs had secured partial replacement funding
Together we mobilised: members, young people and campaign partners.
Locally, we supported members to gain local news coverage highlighting the issue. Nationally, the Today Programme also welcomed Arthur, a young person supported by Young Devon, to speak alongside Layla Moran MP, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee. We also saw coverage in the Independent, Radio News Hub and LocalGov News, with contributions from our CEO Cassi Harrison, Monique Collier (YPAS CEO), and a young person from YPAS.
Alongside this, we drove coordinated political engagement - sending joint letters, sharing evidence with parliamentarians, questioning ministers, and briefing officials - to ensure decision-makers recognised the issue and its impact.
Our collective voice was impossible to ignore; ministers listened, and today the Government has announced that funding has been extended.
“Sustained investment is fantastic news and is essential to protect valued community services, provide much-needed help, and ensure young people in Devon continue to have a safe, local and trusted place to turn to.” Andy Moreman, Young Devon
This funding must be a stepping stone toward long-term investment. We must ensure the Government upholds its manifesto commitment to ensuring open access mental health services for children and young people in every community.
Young people deserve certainty, and together we can ensure these services are here to stay.
