Department of Health and Social Care
13 feb 2026
New investment aims to expand early mental-health support hubs for young people across England.
The UK government has announced a £7 million funding boost for early support hubs across England, designed to increase access to community-based mental-health support for young people. The investment was confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care during Children and Young People’s Mental Health Week.
Early support hubs provide drop-in mental-health support for young people aged 11 to 25, offering counselling, wellbeing advice, group sessions and guidance without the need for a GP referral. The additional funding will allow 24 existing hubs to expand their services, delivering around 10,000 additional mental-health interventions over the next year.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the investment aims to ensure that young people receive support earlier and closer to their communities. The hubs are designed to help young people address difficulties before problems escalate into more serious mental-health conditions.
The announcement comes as demand for youth mental-health services continues to rise across the UK. Community-based support hubs are increasingly seen as an important part of improving early access to care and reducing pressure on specialist NHS services.
Experts and youth mental-health organisations have welcomed the funding, while also calling for a long-term national plan to expand early intervention services and ensure consistent access to support across the country.