The children's minister has announced a £420m fund for spending on youth services and activities.

Speaking at a 4Children/National Youth Agency conference in London on Wednesday, Beverley Hughes said the cash would be targeted at keeping teenagers out of trouble.

She said that following a consultation with youth workers, the money would pay for projects such as skate parks, basketball courts and music workshops in disadvantaged areas, with more to be open on Friday and Saturday nights, when youth services are most likely to be closed and anti-social behaviour more common.

The minister also unveiled an extra £6.5m in 2008/09 for areas at risk of gun and knife crime, with a further £2m for extended school opening hours in 12 local
authorities where there are high instances of gangs.

Ahead of the government's children's plan expected later this month, Hughes said: "We want to consign to history the depressing image of rickety youth centres that characterised too much of our provision for too long.

"We are going to bring youth facilities and opportunities into the 21st century - so they address 21st century challenges and concerns."

At the launch in City Hall, London mayor Ken Livingstone announced a further £20m of his administration's money on top of the government's commitment to spending £58m on youth services in the capital.

"This £78 million funding will provide real alternatives to life on the streets, giving young Londoners more places to go and things to do," he said.

"Just as we have invested in public transport and put police back on the streets, this funding will begin to reverse the decline of facilities for young people in the capital.

"It is vital that every young Londoner is given the chance to fulfil their potential and this investment will give children and teenagers from London's poorest estates and communities right across the capital opportunities to learn new skills through training, sports and cultural activities."