The hub has been developed in direct response to listening to girls and young women who access a mentoring programme delivered by Advance and funded through London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).
They wanted an open and safe space in the crucial after school period and at weekends to be with friends, and to get support and advice from mentors.
Serving as a ‘one-stop shop’, the hub will offer one-to-one support, access to specialist partners, peer mentors, and group activities co-designed with the young women.
It will be a space where they can come in for a hot drink, snack and a safe place to meet peers and have a chat. They'll be able to hang out quietly, do their homework, in an environment where they feel comfortable and safe.
Dali Kaur, Advance’s Director of YWG and Criminal Justice Services, said: “The model of the hub was co-created with the young girls that Advance works with, based on what they feel they need. And that need was identified as somewhere they can feel safe and, critically, be a women-only space.
“What individual young women and girls turn to the hub for will vary depending on how they’re feeling and what is going on in their lives. It might be just somewhere to hang out and chat with peers, or it could be that it’s somewhere they feel safe to disclose any form of abuse.”
Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Listening to young people is and has to be at the very heart of our approach to tackling violence against women and girls.
“The Stratford Young Women and Girls Hub is a new dedicated space in East London that has been developed by young people through our mentoring programme with Advance.
“The Stratford Young Women and Girls Hub is a new dedicated space in East London that has been developed by young people through our mentoring programme with Advance.
“It provides girls and young women with a space where they feel safe, supported, and somewhere they can build friendships. It meets them where they want to be and crucially provides access to trusted mentors who we know can provide life-changing support when young people need it most.”
Data shows that between October 2024 and February 2025, Advance has received more than 1,000 referrals. Of these:
- 33% of girls referred to the service had been a victim of a sexual offence.
- 32% had been a victim of a violent crime.
- 20% had been a victim of stalking and harassment.
The celebratory launch of the hub was attended by Lib Peck, Director of the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit which was established in 2019.
Also at the launch were representatives from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC); Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council; London Probation Service; the Home Office; University of East London students; charities including Refuge, Centre for Young Lives, Transformation Powerhouse, Catch22, Fight for Peace and Exit Foundation; young women and girls and their families.
Future plans for the hub include onsite homework tutors and nearby childcare provision for young women who are parents and struggle to access support due to the lack of childcare. The Stratford young women and girls hub builds on the services Advance, a charity that supports women who have experienced trauma through domestic abuse and the criminal justice system, already offers in East London, through its Minerva CJS services.
For more about Advance's work in London, visit Home - Advance Charity