Many teenagers don’t have anywhere to go outside of school and home, which is a shame as they are not getting the opportunity to develop social skills, essential to help them get on in life.

With this in mind, I was delighted to hear that the government is to launch a Youth Investment Fund, which will benefit young people in places such as here in Barrow and Furness ensuring that they have safe and inspiring places to go outside of school.

The £500 million of funding across the country will see investment in a wide range of youth centres and services including building new youth clubs, as well as refurbishing existing youth spaces and investment in activities to inspire young people outside of the school day.

Young people spend a significant proportion of their time outside of school and need somewhere safe to go during this time. Places where they can go to socialise with their friends outside of their homes, with facilities and activities to help them develop talents and interests.

It is a shame that many teenagers are forced to hang around on streets simply because they don’t have anywhere else to go, which can then lead to anti-social behaviour

I’m sure that everyone across Barrow and Furness wants our young people to thrive, to get the best start in life, so they can go on to get good jobs.

Young people need the best opportunities to develop the social skills needed to get on, something which the Youth Investment Fund will help with and as the next Conservative MP for Barrow and Furness I will fight to ensure all our teenagers here benefit.

Simon Fell

Conservative Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Barrow and Furness