Mayor pledges access to free gaming as part of his investment in youth clubs in every borough

• Every Youth Lates club will be offered access to gaming as part of the Mayor’s £30 million investment in youth clubs and his commitment to provide a late-night youth club in every London borough
• Building on the success of the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit, mentoring and positive opportunities, funding will be available to improve Wi-Fi connections in clubs or purchase new consoles or TVs, alongside a range of activities which could include music production, sport and creative opportunities
• London is Europe’s number one video games city, with the number of games businesses doubling in the last ten years and the capital is now ranked third globally behind only Los Angeles and San Francisco worldwide
• As part of his trade mission to Tokyo, the Mayor today launched the J-StarX Indie Game Growth Accelerator Programme by Games London and JETRO, boosting trade ties between the two cities and driving fresh investment in the capital  

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will ensure every Youth Lates club in the capital is offered access to gaming, as part of his commitment to deliver a late-night youth club in every one of London’s 32 boroughs.

Sadiq’s record £30 million investment in the Youth Lates programme is the biggest ever investment in youth clubs in London and will now ensure clubs are provided with funding to upgrade Wi-Fi connections and purchase hardware including consoles, TVs and PCs.

With video games being one of the most popular activities for young people, the Mayor is committed to providing youth clubs, through his Youth Lates programme, with access to resources they need to engage with young people, keep them safe and provide creative opportunities, mentoring and skills to support future careers and life skills.

Building on the success of the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit, which has seen the number of young people admitted to hospital for knife assault half in seven years, and his mentoring and positive opportunities investment, the new ‘Youth Lates’ programme will support youth clubs to stay open later and longer, at evenings and weekends.

The Mayor made today’s announcement during his trade mission to Tokyo, where he visited a creative hub in Shibuya to launch the J-StarX Indie Game Growth Accelerator Programme. He met with key industry figures and game creators and saw first hand the cutting-edge technology used by the successful Japanese studios.

Japan is at the forefront of the games industry and is home to iconic companies, including Nintendo, Sony and Sega. It has produced some of the most popular franchises in video game history, including Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokémon. London is the video game capital of Europe and is now the third-largest global hub for games makers - only behind Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the number of games businesses in London doubling over the past decade.

The new international initiative will connect two of the world’s most influential gaming hubs and help emerging Japanese studios expand into Europe for the first time, bringing game designers and further investment to the capital.

The J-StarX Indie Game Growth Accelerator Programme, funded by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and delivered by Mayoral-backed Games London, will support eight Japanese studios and video game startups seeking to expand into the UK and Europe. It will pair London’s homegrown industry expertise with a new wave of Japanese creative talent.

This new alliance will work to build lasting international connections and business opportunities, helping both the UK and Japanese games industries to thrive internationally.

The selected studios will showcase their work at London Games Festival next year. Backed by the Mayor and relaunched in 2016, it is now the UK’s largest video games event, drawing 100,000+ visitors annually from over 60 countries.

The Mayor is this week leading trade missions to Singapore and Tokyo, Japan, banging the drum for the capital as a place to invest and developing cultural links. Over four days, Sadiq is meeting with political, business and cultural leaders to promote London, working to drive trade and investment across critical sectors, including finance, tech, real estate, sport and the creative industries. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Gaming can have a positive impact on young people, improving teamwork, social skills and making them feel part of a community. I remember playing video games as a youngster and loved Sonic and Mario so am delighted to be connecting leading creative giants in Japan with our homegrown gaming talent. This will help to take London’s gaming scene to the next level.

“It can be expensive to purchase games and, sadly, many children across the capital do not have access to consoles or only have one gaming controller, so they can’t play together with friends or siblings at home. That’s why I’m committed to providing youth clubs with the funding to purchase equipment or improve their internet connection where they need it, so more people can play with friends throughout the year.

“This forms part of my record £30m Youth Lates fund, the biggest ever investment in youth clubs in London and will give every young Londoner in need the chance to connect, learn new skills and have fun. It is part of my ongoing action to deliver a safer, fairer and more prosperous London for everyone.”

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Youth clubs are a key part of what makes a community and for many young people, are a lifeline.

“They are a place of safety and belonging, where young people can both meet up with friends and get support from youth workers and mentors.

“Gaming is an important hook to engage young people. That’s why we’ll be supporting youth clubs so that they can make this an offer as part of the Mayor’s game-changing investment to expand youth club delivery across London, keeping young people safe and supported to thrive.”

Lewis Kay, Founder of Esports Youth Club, said: "Video games are already one of the main ways young people socialise, with around 90 per cent playing regularly. At Esports Youth Club, we believe youth services should reflect that reality rather than ignore it.

“We engage young people each year across South London through free gaming and esports sessions delivered in libraries, community centres and youth spaces. What we’ve found is that gaming is one of the most effective engagement tools available. Young people who might never attend a traditional youth club will often come through the door because of gaming. Over time, it is the relationships, routine and sense of belonging that keep them coming back.

“We welcome the Mayor’s recognition of gaming as a positive force in young people’s lives. Young people are already spending time in these spaces. The opportunity is to make sure they are supported, connected and able to benefit from them in ways that strengthen both their communities and their futures."

Michael French MBE, Head of Games London and Director, London Games Festival, said: “For over a decade Games London has worked to promote and grow the UK capital as a leading games hub while supporting creative talent in the city. Through our work on London Games Festival we’ve opened up the sector to audiences across the country and around the world. This exciting new partnership with JETRO is the next step and unites a lot of our work, bringing together UK and European games expertise with Japan’s renowned games development talent. The J-StarX Indie Games programme will foster a new generation of creatives in Japan who we look forward to working with over the coming months in Tokyo and beyond to develop their ideas, and then showcasing them at London Games Festival 2027.”