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YMCA Issues Urgent Plea Ahead of General Election: Safeguard Youth Services Before It’s Too Late
YMCA’s latest report, sponsored by Vestey Holdings, reveals yet another opportunity missed for significant reinvestment in youth services.
In the face of a marginal 3% real-terms funding increase, the sector remains stagnant with overall cuts of 70% in England and Wales since 2010-11, marking a total loss of £1.1bn.
Youth services play a pivotal role in nurturing the confidence, resilience, and skills of young individuals, providing a safe haven within the community. Sadly, the location of such services has a significant part to play in terms of availability. While Yorkshire and the Humber and London received increases in youth services expenditure of 15% and 11% respectively over the past year, the West Midlands experienced further cuts of 15%, followed by East Midlands with -10%.
Annually serving 34,698 young people, YMCA’s youth clubs act as vital spaces for combatting loneliness, navigating societal pressures, and promoting mental wellbeing. However, drastic underfunding has seen the number of local authority-run youth centres fall by 53% in England (from 917 to 427) and 62% in Wales (from 233 to 88) since 2011-12.
During a critical election year, YMCA once again issues an urgent call to Government for a united effort to safeguard the future of youth services and young people.
The current scenario underscores an urgent need for increased promotion of pathways into youth work roles. Despite recent government funding directed at specific youth club buildings, there is a pressing need for additional support for training and sustaining well-qualified youth workers. Since 2012-13, there has been a 35% reduction in full-time equivalent (FTE) youth workers employed by local authorities in England, and 36% in Wales.
The absence of a coordinated strategy across government departments has led to fragmented and insufficient funding for targeted youth services. Youth services are an indispensable component of our national infrastructure, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that young people receive the necessary support to live healthy, happy, and prosperous lives. To invest in our collective future, YMCA emphasises the urgent need to invest in youth services.
YMCA’s General Election Manifesto sets out the following recommendations to do just that:
- Long-Term Revenue Funding: Advocate for sustained and long-term revenue funding to bolster universal and open-access youth services, catering to all young people throughout the year.
- Cross-Departmental Strategy: Establish a cross-departmental strategy for youth services, fostering a long-term vision for nationwide provision.
- Duty on Local Authorities: Enforce a duty on local authorities to ensure that all young people can access youth services in their respective areas, with necessary government support and resourcing.
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Every young person should have access to youth services in their area, all year round.
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive, YMCA England & Wales:
“Investing in the potential of our nation’s young people is critical for building a brighter future. Unfortunately, the length and nature of these funding cuts have taken their toll on youth support systems, leaving thousands without opportunities or a safe place to build confidence, connection, and valuable skills. The youth sector stands ready in working together with the next government to break down departmental silos and ensure that every young person has access to the essential lifeline of universal youth services, regardless of their circumstances or locality.”
“Youth services are not a luxury but the bedrock of a prosperous future. Now’s our chance to envision a society where every young individual receives the support needed to thrive. It’s not just an investment in youth services; it’s an investment in the heart and soul of our nation’s young people.”
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