25.09.19
LGA responds to damning YMCA report on youth services
The YMCA has released a report today showing that youth services spending is set to fall to the ‘lowest point ever in a generation’.
Spending cuts have seen the average spend on youth services per local authority go from £7.79m, to just £2.45m, from 2010 to 2019. The 69% decline was revealed through an analysis of 84 local authorities across England.
The report also stated that 8% of local authorities are planning up to a 90% reduction in spending on youth services, significantly reducing available resources.
Denise Hatton, chief executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “Youth services offer a vital lifeline within local communities, providing young people with support, advice and a place to go when they need it most.
“The year-on-year cuts to youth services are not without consequences and we are already seeing the impact of these cuts in communities across the country.”
In response to the report, the Local Government Association reiterated the need for adequate funding for council’s youth.
Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, councillor Judith Blake, said: “Funding and demand pressures have meant many councils are having to divert resources away from youth services to cope with the growing pressures in children’s social care.”
“Councils will work in partnership with the Government and national youth organisations to ensure any extra resources allocated as part of the recent Spending Round are used in the best way in order to support young people to have access to the fullest range of services and opportunities.
“It is also vital that next year’s Spending Review provides long-term, sustainable funding so councils can keep providing the support that children and families rely on.”