A funding boost is set to secure eight weeks of youth club sessions in Newton Aycliffe to help keep young people safe and engaged. The Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, Joy Allen, has awarded £3,710 to The Cornforth Partnership to support activities at the Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre.
The sessions, which take place on Wednesday evenings, offer sports and social opportunities for young people aged 10 to 17. Between 40 and 50 children attend these sessions each week, with 150 young people currently registered. The new funding covers the cost of hiring the youth centre and contributes toward the employment of a youth worker to lead the activities.
According to the Police and Crime Commissioner, this support is vital to ensure young people have a structured place to go, which helps prevent them from congregating in public spaces and becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. This effort is part of a broader strategy to manage local issues, as Newton Aycliffe is currently one of 15 hotspot areas benefiting from extra high-visibility police patrols to tackle crime.
Police data shows that reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in the town centre have fallen from 170 in the six months leading to February 2025, to 120 during the same period to February 2026. This represents a reduction of approximately 29 percent over the year.
The youth programme has also received support from other partners to ensure its continued operation, including a £2,000 contribution from Livin Housing Association and £5,592 from The Ballinger Charitable Trust. This latest grant follows a larger investment in 2024-25, where the Police and Crime Commissioner awarded £37,000 to The Cornforth Partnership to expand youth services across five communities, including Newton Aycliffe.
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