Working together
for young Londoners
since 2025
At Youth Active, we are more than just a youth club. We are a community dedicated to empowering young people across Newham to unlock their potential, build confidence, and make positive life choices.
Every young person has the right to take part in sport, arts and cultural activities. It is essential for their health, wellbeing, and growth.
When that right is taken away, young people can become disengaged, get pulled into gangs, or worse. This affects not just the young person, but their families, friends, and the wider community.
Our story
Youth Active was born out of a pressing need for dedicated youth provision in Newham. We believe that outside of school, young people need a place of their own. Somewhere they can be themselves, try new things, and have trusted adults in their corner.
We noticed it first hand. Young people wandering the neighbourhood with nothing to do, getting into antisocial behaviour, knocking on doors and running off. It was not mischief for the sake of it. It was boredom, restlessness and a lack of direction. We thought: these are our community's future leaders. So we started putting activities in place that could give them something real to work towards and skills that would genuinely benefit them for life.
Everything we do is to deliver effective youth work for every young person.
We provide a safe space for young people growing up in the community of Newham, supporting them mentally and emotionally to build a bright future.
Through a range of purposeful programmes including physical literacy, mental health support, outdoor activity and team building, we help young people grow in every direction. By giving them leadership roles and real responsibility, we build the kind of confidence that lasts.
In doing this, we actively work to reduce youth violence and childhood obesity in our community. Not by policing young people, but by giving them something better to invest their energy in.
45%
Child poverty rate in Newham
vs 31% London average
28.3%
Childhood obesity (Year 6)
vs 23.2% London average
134
Crimes per 1,000 residents
vs 125.9 London average
72%
Young people in justice system with unaddressed mental health needs
HM Inspectorate of Probation
The challenge in Newham
Too many young people in Newham are being drawn into gang influence, knife crime and anti-social behaviour. Teenagers are riding e-bikes to snatch phones from pedestrians on busy high streets and transit hubs, often operating in pairs to avoid being caught. Shopping centres have become regular spots where young people gather with little to do, creating friction with local businesses and communities. These are not abstract problems. They are the daily reality for many families in this borough.
Phone snatching remains one of the most severe issues, with Newham consistently ranking among London's highest boroughs for reported theft. Many residents now avoid using their phones in public out of fear of becoming a victim. Detective Kev Hughes of City of London Police put it plainly: “Phone snatching is not a victimless crime. In a matter of minutes, offenders can steal not only a device but someone's money, personal data and sense of security.” This is the environment our young people are growing up in, and it is exactly why structured, purposeful provision matters so much.
What we do about it
We run free evening sessions three nights a week giving young people aged 8 to 18 somewhere purposeful to be. Every session is led by trusted adults who show up consistently, know the young people by name, and genuinely care about what happens to them.
The activities are varied by design. Sport, creative arts, coding and mentoring are not offered as a pick list. They work together to develop young people physically, mentally and socially, so they grow up with more options, more confidence and a stronger sense of who they are.
None of this costs the young person a thing. Membership is free. Refreshments are provided. The only requirement is showing up.
Evening youth programme
Three evenings a week, free for all members aged 8 to 18:
- Arts and crafts sessions (Tuesdays)
- Coding and digital skills (Thursdays)
- Indoor sports and multi-activity (Thursdays)
- Football and outdoor sports (Fridays)
- Mentoring and personal development (ongoing)