‘Labour is investing in our future, our children, and young people’ was the theme of the stall run by North Somerset Labour Party at Nailsea Market on Saturday 21^st June.

North Somerset Labour Party — including volunteers, Sadik Al-Hassan MP, and Nailsea Youngwood District Councillor Clare Hunt — ran a stall at Nailsea Market on Saturday to highlight the work the Government is doing to support children and young people. The event included fun games of skipping, hoopla, and table football to attract the young and the young at heart, alongside a poster listing the government schemes available.

It has been well reported and documented for several years that young people are in crisis. The NHS estimates that one in five children and young people between the ages of 8-25 have a mental health condition[1]. For individuals aged 10-24, mental health accounts for 45% of their use of health services and, tragically, suicide is the second leading cause of death.[2]

Young people face a world that is increasingly complex. Since COVID, many have become lonely and isolated with social media unable to replace the sense of connectedness that face-to-face contact provides.

The Labour Government is determined to address the impact of young people being too unwell or unsupported to fully contribute their skills and talents to our communities. Therefore, the Government has introduced a range of measures to support young people and their families to achieve their potential. These efforts will also reduce the burden that mental illness and lost potential place on our public services and economy.

Multi-agency support will be available through Parenting Villages, Family Hubs, and hubs to support those with special educational needs and disabilities. The Government is also introducing free breakfast clubs in all primary schools and expanding free school meal eligibility to all children whose parents claim Universal Credit. Free school meals tackle poverty and boost learning — putting nearly £500 a year back in parents’ pockets, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty, and improving behaviour, attainment and wellbeing.

Young Futures hubs — for vulnerable young people aged 10-25 — will have youth workers, mental health support workers, and careers advisers on hand to support young people’s mental health and avoid them being drawn into crime.

The Youth Guarantee Trailblazer scheme will match young people with job or training opportunities and provide a range of support including free travel passes, mental health support, and financial advice. Other new schemes to support young people after school include a paid gap year in the armed forces, the UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme which creates new opportunities for cultural exchange, and a Freedom to Buy scheme to help young people onto the housing ladder.

Local Labour Party volunteers and North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan said people were extremely pleased with the policies and the Government’s dedication to children and young people. Passers-by were grateful for the information the stall provided as some said they do not always know what help is available for those who are struggling.

Bubbly Tindall, one of the local Labour Party volunteers, said “The people I spoke with were genuinely encouraged by the new Government’s efforts; they saw them as an improvement over the policies of previous administrations under which so many young people had suffered. The changes were widely welcomed.”

Hildegard Dumper, another local Labour Party volunteer, observed “It was wonderful to see how warmly shoppers were coming up to Sadik to greet him. After just under a year in the job, he is clearly already a well-liked and well-respected constituency MP — a credit to his tireless work representing us in Westminster and North Somerset.”

David Punter, another local Labour Party volunteer, said “I found that people appreciated that the Government is tackling these problems.”

Will Hall, North Somerset Labour Party Secretary, said he found that “There was clear and vocal support for all the policies listed from passers-by and those who stopped to discuss the poster.”

[1] 14 March 2024. Children’s Mental Health Services 2022-2023, Children’s Commissioner

[2] 27 January 2025, ‘Understanding the crisis in young people’s mental health’ Peter Fonagy, Health Foundation