A Hitchin youth worker who featured in Gareth Southgate's recent documentary about young men has been praised by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons.

Keir Starmer highlighted the work of Hitchin's Dan Gaze during Prime Minister's Questions after a question from Hitchin MP Alistair Strathern.

Strathern praised Southgate's documentary, Changing the Game for Young Men, as well as Gaze and the young men from Hitchin Boys' School who took part in the programme.

He asked the Prime Minister how the Government could build on the work of people like Gaze to expand coaching and mentoring opportunities for young men across the country.

In response, Starmer pointed to the Government's plans to open youth hubs nationwide and described Gaze as representing "the best of Britain".

Gaze has spent years coaching and mentoring young people across Hertfordshire, helping them build confidence and realise their potential. After serving time in prison earlier in his life, he has dedicated himself to ensuring young people receive the opportunities and support that he says he never had growing up.

Strathern is co-chair of the Labour Group for Men and Boys, which campaigns for greater support for young men, including increased mentoring, better employment opportunities and a shift towards viewing young men as community assets rather than problems to be solved.

The documentary, Changing the Game for Young Men, aired earlier this month and followed Southgate as he travelled across the UK exploring the challenges facing young men today and the role that positive mentors can play. As part of the programme, Southgate visited a Hitchin Town F.C. match, where he spoke with supporters about the importance of mentorship.

advertisement

Speaking after the exchange in Parliament, Strathern said: "It was great to see Dan's extraordinary work given national airtime in Gareth Southgate's timely documentary. Dan's work is one of the many important solutions to the challenges facing young men.

"I was really pleased to see the Prime Minister today share my belief in the importance of role models for young men and give Dan a shout out in the Commons.

"I'm determined to ensure every young man growing up in Britain today can benefit from positive role models like Dan, and today was a great moment to highlight how important their work can be in Parliament.

"The Government's £500 million investment in youth facilities and programmes will be a game changer, but I'll be continuing to press ministers to go further to get more men into teaching and youth work roles."

The parliamentary recognition comes after Gaze's work reached a national audience through Southgate's documentary, shining a spotlight on the positive impact local mentors can have on young people's lives in Hitchin and beyond.