Brent Council is set to upgrade its youth centres, ensuring young people are at the heart of the design and usage of these spaces. The £4 million investment aims to create modern, engaging environments that cater to the diverse needs of Brent's youth population.
At a council meeting on Monday 10 November 2025, Councillor Gwen Grahl, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Schools, addressed questions from both the Brent Youth Parliament and Councillor S. Butt about the £4 million investment. She emphasised the council's commitment to co-production with young people, ensuring the upgrades reflect their needs and aspirations.
From the beginning, we have ensured that young people are not just consulted but are central to decision-making,
said Councillor Grahl. To ensure diverse representation, the council assembled a panel of young people with lived experience from youth justice, care leavers, Brent Youth Parliament, Early Help, and the voluntary sector to participate in the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) grant process. She highlighted that young people played a key role in shortlisting and scoring applications for the SCIL grant. This included hearing presentations from organisations and shaping the final selection of the five projects that will receive funding.
This collaborative approach will continue throughout the delivery phase, with the council working closely with voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations to ensure young people remain actively involved in shaping the upgraded spaces. Organisations are being encouraged to embed youth voice in their governance, planning, and delivery as part of the grant-making process. To support this, the council will signpost organisations to the Young Brent Foundation and other partners for help with capacity building, funding, and youth engagement best practice, ensuring youth involvement is sustained in the long term.
Councillor Grahl also acknowledged that upgraded buildings alone are not enough. Young people have expressed that their priorities include access to mental health support, employment and skills opportunities, and safe spaces to address youth crime and safety. These priorities are embedded in Brent's Youth Strategy, and the council is working with VCS partners to ensure their programmes reflect and respond to these needs. Young people also have a seat at the Brent Youth Strategy Delivery Group, ensuring they have a direct voice in overseeing the implementation of the wider strategy. The Brent Youth Justice Plan 2025-28 further details the council's commitment to addressing these issues.
The council is committed to continuing to hear directly from young people to understand their opinions on how they want to stay involved in shaping and evaluating these projects. This ongoing partnership aims to ensure that youth voice remains at the heart of the initiative.
