In his Renewed Agenda for Children and Young People report, Boris Johnson commits to promoting volunteering in uniformed and non-uniformed youth organisations, including a targeted pilot project aimed at establishing uniformed youth groups in areas suffering from the impacts of serious youth violence.
Johnson also renewed his commitment to expand the Time for Action plan to set up further mentoring programmes and recruit more black men as mentors.
Introducing the report, Johnson said: "I want to increase opportunities for, and promote the aspirations of, children and young people in London, to improve their life chances and reduce youth crime.
"Engagement of young Londoners so they feel more involved in the city will continue to be central to my approach. This includes promoting positive images of young people by highlighting their achievements, whether these are through volunteering, citizenship initiatives or sporting or cultural excellence."
Johnson will also prioritise tackling child poverty through measures including the mayor’s Health Inequality Summit in November. Despite scrapping the London Development Agency’s childcare team earlier this year, Johnson said he is committed to removing barriers to accessible childcare.
Family support and early intervention are also themes Johnson will be examining, along with reducing the number of children and young people not in education, employment and training, and improving the outcomes for children in care.
On Saturday (17 July), Johnson hosted the second in a series of education and careers events for children in care, held in partnership with Action for Children and Barnardo's.
The event was aimed at guiding pupils through their GCSE options and raising their career aspirations.