Skip to Main Content

YMCA slams cuts to youth budgets

Council spending on youth services has dropped by 69% since 2010, according to figures published by YMCA.

The charity released an analysis of 84 councils in England showing planned average spend falling from £7.79m per council to £2.45m.

A third (29%) of local authorities have planned cuts that would see their spending on youth services decline by 80% since 2010/11, while the vast majority of local authorities (83%) have planned to cut their funding in half over the nine-year period.

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.”

Until recently, the FRC had little involvement in local government affairs. But with investigations into council officers becoming more frequent, where is the political accountability?

(Shutterstock)