Children and Young People in London

The Mayor wants to make London a more child-friendly city, and in January 2004 published his strategy document Making London better for all children and young people. He has set up a Children and Young People's unit to work towards implementing the action plan contained in the strategy; more information about its work is below.

Providing for Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation

Supplementary Planning Guidance

This SPG aims to help those involved in planning local neighbourhoods to engage with young Londoners to deliver real improvements in the quality of play spaces. The Mayor wants to see a child-friendly London with inclusive, accessible, and safe play spaces that allow all young Londoners to engage in fun, positive, and healthy play and recreation in their own communities and throughout London.

London Youth Offer

The Mayor of London and the Government are working together to deliver a £79m ‘London Youth Offer’. The package will run over two years from 2008 to 2010, with £20m coming from the Mayor’s London Development Agency and £59m from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

The objectives for the Mayor’s Youth Offer have been developed to help provide more activities and services for young Londoners. We want to increase the range of services for teenagers, provide more support for parents and give young people new opportunities to gain new skills and raise their aspirations.

A key element of the funding will encourage young Londoners to get involved in decisions about the provision of services for them across London - see the London Youth Offer page.

The State of London's Children Report 2007

The State of London's Children Report 2007 shows where London's children's lives are getting better, and what has deteriorated or stayed the same, compared to the rest of the country and since the last report in 2004.

Young people not in education, employment or training

The GLA has commissioned a report into 'What works in preventing and re-engaging young people NEET in London'. This refers particularly to 16-18 year olds, who are 'not in education, employment or training'. Alongside the main report is a toolkit document designed to help extended schools who are working with this group.

Health in London 2005

The focus of the Health in London 2005 report by the London Health Commission is on children and young people, and it highlights areas of improvement in their health and well-being as well as the persistence of child health inequalities.

Youth Policy

The Youth Policy in London sets out the Mayor's views on the key issues for the future of youth services in London. This paper follows and responds to the recent, national government proposals set out in the Youth Matters Green Paper.

Play strategy

In May 2005 the Mayor published the Guide to Preparing Play Strategies, a practical tool to assist London boroughs and their partners in the development of play opportunities for children and young people.

Young London

The Young London website provides information about life in London for children and young people and also those helping them have a say.

Listen Up London

Listen Up London is a project to combat bullying set up by the Mayor of London, the charity beatbullying, Transport for London, Chelsea Football Club and Tequila/London. It will encourage all Londoners - not just young people - to take responsibility, listen up and start intervening to stop young people being bullied.

Capital Child

The Mayor publishes a quarterly e-newsletter, Capital Child, to keep partner agencies and Londoners informed of his work for children and young people.

Young Londoners' survey

A new survey of young Londoners aged 11-16 years, conducted in June 2004 by ICM on behalf of the Greater London Authority, reveals issues of concern to children and young people. Read press release on survey results.

Declaration by ENCFC

Following the Second European Child in the City Conference in October 2004, a Declaration was agreed by the Co-ordinating Committee of the European Network for Child-Friendly Cities (ENCFC). The Declaration, which marks the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, was endorsed by the Mayor of London.

ENCFC Declaration PDF
ENCFC Declaration RTF